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State-wide support available to jobseekers
TAFE Queensland’s Back to Work Jobseeker Officers utilise their regional knowledge and industry connections to provide one-on-one support to Queensland jobseekers, connecting them to training and local employment.
Overview
- The Queensland Government funded Back to Work program provides a unique opportunity for jobseekers and those at risk of unemployment to upskill and retrain for jobs, to keep pace with a changing Queensland economy
- Coordinated by TAFE Queensland’s team of Back to Work Jobseeker Officers, the program delivers effective solutions that are bridging real gaps to employment in all regions of Queensland
- The average transition to employment rate, per the most recent version of the program, is an impressive 90%.
Supporting Disadvantaged Jobseekers
Back to Work supports Queensland jobseekers who identify with one or more of the following eligible groups for assessment:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- People with disability
- Long-term unemployed people (unemployed for 52 weeks or longer)
- Young people aged 15-24 years (who have completed or left school)
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) people.
Opportunity
To keep pace with a changing Queensland economy, the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT), in partnership with TAFE Queensland are working together to support Queensland jobseekers to overcome barriers getting into or back to work.
The assistance available extends beyond ‘financial support’ which could include any or all of the following:
- Access to C3G Plus “true second chance” subsidised training opportunities
- Access to The Work Preferences Questionnaire by Harrison
- Access to the Jobseeker Support Pool to bridge gaps to employment and can include a wide range of items such as driving lessons, short courses, workwear and PPE, tickets and licences, birth certificates and ID documentation and more
- Access to free short courses for jobseekers – available from January 2025.
The program also includes non-financial individualised support, including career path mapping, resume writing, interview skills, training, and job matching with regional opportunities.
Solution
The Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT) works in partnership with TAFE Queensland to deliver the Back to Work program.
Back to Work Jobseeker Officers are based within TAFE Queensland across the state, and their role is to support jobseekers to identify and connect with training and skills development linked to local employment. They provide tailored, timely one-on-one assistance to eligible jobseekers via a suite of financial and non-financial supports, to help them to overcome their personal barriers to employment, and to equip them with the job-ready skills they need to access sustainable employment opportunities in their region.
The Back to Work program provided me with financial support to enter this new industry, taking a massive weight off my shoulders and ultimately helped me secure a job that aligned with my aspirations and goals. Overall, this assistance has been invaluable in helping me achieve my goals and successfully reintegrate into the workplace.
Results
Back to Work’s strength is developing clear, individualised pathways via tailored support, designed to meet the unique set of challenges each jobseeker experiences, reinforced with in-depth knowledge of training and the needs of the local labour market.
Since the program began in 2016, TAFE Queensland has assisted more than 78,500 jobseekers.
The average rate of participants’ successful transition to employment currently sits at 90% (results from the most recent iteration of the program).
Future Plans
This iteration of the Back to Work program will continue through to 30 June 2025. Back to Work forms a significant supporting part of:
- Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032: Good people. Good jobs
- Queensland Skills Strategy 2024-2028: Good jobs, Great Training (putting TAFE at the heart of the training system).
Any updates to the delivery scope of the Back to Work program, including program extensions, will be published on our webpage.