Jack is an under-employed freight worker who lives in Boondall. He has a passion for art in all its forms—and a long dormant creative mind. Lauren is an ex-hairdresser turned stay-at-home mum from Collingwood Park whose eldest kids have just started school—prompting the realisation that she is ready to get back to work. They both stumbled upon a BUSY At

Head of labour statistics at the ABS, Bjorn Jarvis said: “With employment increasing by 18,000 people and unemployment falling by 12,000, the unemployment rate decreased slightly in March, though remained at 4.0 per cent in rounded terms.” Increasing at a faster rate was women’s participation in the workforce, as indicated in the February figures last month, and largely due to

Jobs and Skills Centres are “one-stop shops” supporting individuals and businesses to build a skilled workforce. They operate as a State-wide network providing outreach services to business and the community. Jobs and Skills Centres services are free and accessible to all members of the community. The services include: Providing access to quality career, training and employment advice. Servicing a diverse range

The new model was informed by extensive collaboration with over 1400 stakeholders and included user-centred design with job seekers, employers and employment service providers. The BUSY Group is proud to deliver employment support through the Australian Government’s new Workforce Australia program in the following regions. BUSY At Work will be delivering: Workforce Australia Services – Generalist Services (in partnership with

Already investing up to $13bn in the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements (BAC) initiative which has seen 220,000 Australians enter a trade or skill, the government recently announced an extension to the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements of another three months – now ending June 30, 2022 The government also announced a further $1.3bn investment over the next five years, including a $954 million

Great news for our employers who are looking to commence an apprentice or trainee! The Australian Government has announced in the lead up to the Federal Budget (29th March) that they will extend the 50% wage subsidy under the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements initiative. The extension expects to support another 35,000 apprentices and trainees with vocational skills and into employment. The

Head of labour statistics at the ABS, Bjorn Jarvis said: “With employment increasing by 77,000 people and unemployment falling by 19,000, the unemployment rate fell by 0.2 percentage points, to 4.0 per cent. “The 3.8 per cent unemployment rate for women was the lowest since May 1974. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for men fell to 4.2 per cent, its second

Leighton’s Employment Consultant, Amanda, discussed with him the Voyages program through the National Indigenous Training Academy (NITA). The program would provide a twelve month traineeship position where Leighton could obtain his Certificate III in Hospitality while working at Ayers Rock Resort. Under the unique training program, Leighton will not only be given the opportunity to complete his qualification but will

One Stop Training deliver a range of vocational skills for the Transport and Logistics industry, an industry that has recently been front of mind for many due to the impacts of Covid and the spotlight on Australia’s supply chain industry.  The investment in the One Stop Group is part of the BUSY Group’s growth in the training industry and developing

This all changed recently when BUSY At Work supported him into a role with Liberty Oil where he is now working secure permanent hours. Luke works the night shifts which are from 9pm to 7am but he says this doesn’t bother him because over the years working many casual roles, he has gotten used to sleeping when he needs to,

According to a report In 2012 by the Grattan Institute, they found that if there were an extra 6 per cent of women in the workforce, we could add up to $25 billion, or approximately 1 per cent, to Australia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) also estimates that closing the gender participation gap by 75 per cent

Congratulating all the organisations who have been successful with their bid to deliver the Transition to Work program, Managing Director of the BUSY Group, Paul Miles said, “I’d like to extend a big congratulations to all the providers who will be delivering Transition to Work in the new contract round on behalf of the Federal Government. “BUSY is really looking

Queensland’s answer to alternative education for disengaged youth, The BUSY Schools, will open its fourth campus in Coolangatta at the Gold Coast this April following the success of campuses opened in Cairns, Shailer Park and Salisbury in 2020 and 2021. The opening of the Coolangatta campus will meet the growing demand for alternative schooling throughout Queensland for the many students

The Campaign is supported by hundreds of ‘Campaigners’ who collect and donate items (cash, unused hotel toiletries, gift cards) at host donation drop off points, and volunteer their time to assist with packaging activities. Recognising the need for hygiene care packs to give to those job seekers going through difficult times, the jobactive team at BUSY At Work Aitkenvale reached

While the unemployment figure remains at 4.2% in January, overall hours worked in January fell by nearly 9%, largely due to holiday leave in the first two weeks of January but also a large increase in sick leave caused by the impact of the COVID Omicron variant over January. Bjorn Jarvis, Head of ABS Statistics said, “Last year, in January

The impact on the economy has led to many employers finding it difficult to source labour and skills, and the recent figures coincide with evidence of businesses, particularly trades, desperately needing staff. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) latest labour force figures for December, an estimated 64,800 jobs were created between November and December. Economists are now saying

Seasonally adjusted estimates for November 2021: Unemployment rate decreased to 4.6%. Participation rate increased to 66.1%. Employment increased to 13,177,300. Employment to population ratio increased to 63.0%. Underemployment rate decreased to 7.5%. Monthly hours worked increased by 77 million hours. Head of labour statistics at the ABS, Bjorn Jarvis said, “The latest data shows the extent of recovery between early October

Eden Spencer, CEO and Founder of The Skill Xchange, started the digital platform to ‘digitise the trades industry’ and deliver quicker, easier, and more streamlined access to the skills that business and the wider community need.  His vision for the platform was so that businesses could thrive by having better access to the resources, jobs, and contractors that they needed

In addition to receiving their achievement certificates, each participant received a keepsake book filled with photos taken of them throughout the traineeship. Everyone present at the graduation ceremony enjoyed watching a video created of the participants in action during the program and seeing their finished work provided a real sense of accomplishment for all involved. Some of the participants came

Since June 2021, this has been the first increase in the participation rate and reflects a large increase in unemployment (82,000 people). The 5.2 per cent unemployment rate is back where it had been before the Delta variant outbreaks and the extensive lockdowns in Victoria and New South Wales. Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS, said the

BUSY At Work’s Gateway Services offers a career-matching service with a comprehensive range of tools to assess a job seeker’s skills, interests and motivations, helping them find an ideal career pathway. The service also offers mentoring support for apprentices and trainees while they complete their qualification. Mentoring support through BUSY At Work’s Gateway Services was instrumental in supporting Cooper to

“This new special assistance school is building bridges of a different kind today, creating engaging pathways between school and employment to forge brighter futures for young students,” Ms Grace said. “The Queensland Government will provide around $500,000 of recurrent funding this year towards supporting The BUSY Schools to operate across Queensland, with sites already open for business at Shailer Park

BUSY At Work offer a range of SQW courses in the South East Queensland region, including entry-level courses for Construction, Hospitality, Health Care and Community Services. Recently BUSY At Work delivered an eight week course which offered participants an entry pathway into Pathology. There were twelve participants within this course who, along with two weeks classroom learning, undertook six weeks

Head of labour statistics at the ABS, Bjorn Jarvis said: “Extended lockdowns in New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory have seen employment and hours worked both drop back below their pre-pandemic levels. In September 2021, there were 111,000 fewer employed people (0.9 per cent) and 2.0 per cent fewer hours worked than in March 2020.” The drop

Already investing $3.9 billion in the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements program, which provided 50% wage support for employers putting on a new apprentice or trainee, another $716 million, will be invested to extend support into the second and third year of an eligible Australian Apprenticeship under the Completing Apprenticeship Commencements program. Under the new changes from October 2021, eligible employers will

BUSY At Work is contracted by the Australian Government Department of Employment, Skills and Education to deliver the jobactive program which supports eligible, Centrelink-registered jobseekers to find sustainable employment. Along with the jobactive services, BUSY At Work provide a range of supporting programs, including apprenticeship support services. Zech’s employment consultant at BUSY At Work contacted a local painter to see

It is pretty common to feel crushed after finding out you didn’t get the job you wanted and you might even wonder why you were unsuccessful in the process but rather than wondering to yourself, try asking those questions to the right people and find out how you can prevent this from happening again in future. To help you take

This year’s theme of ‘Change Your Story’ is a relevant one for many. With current disruptions to business and industry and rapidly-advancing digital technologies, it is fair to say that the working world will never be quite the same. For the new world emerging, particularly for employment or business, we can all ‘change our story’ by pivoting and adapting. If

With over 7,800 job opportunities in the Electrical Industry and a projected job growth of 10.9% in the next five years according to Seek, becoming a ‘sparky’ never looked so good. To become a ‘sparky’ you will need have some fundamental skills, like basic maths, problem solving, teamwork and customer service. The life of a ‘sparky’ can sometimes mean working

You are effectively in part-time employment and get to ‘earn while you learn’ A school-based apprenticeship or traineeship means that for approximate 7.5 hours a week, you are employed and at work. This is usually during the week in school hours and forms part of your school curriculum, although you may also do more hours over the school holidays or

This information may be a little scary and lead a person to imagine a future workforce led only by robots and tech geeks, however; the flip side of this shows that the more digitally automated our workforce becomes, the more demand for human interaction is. This will increase the need for skills like empathy, with care and personal services becoming

In a more positive light, the study also revealed a 5.9% decrease from the number of people unemployed in June, which means more Australians are finding work every day. Even before COVID, Australia has been experiencing a skills shortage for certain industries. With fewer skilled jobseekers in the market to meet demand for these industries, this represents great opportunities for

Misguided career advisors may think gaining a career in the automotive industry is for those who are more inclined to manual work rather than high-order thinking. As most of us know, cars are complicated beasts these days, with automated functions like park assist, lane departure warning and emergency brake assist – and that’s all before you even try to work

This traineeship will earn Conner a Certificate I in Conservation and Land Management, which he hopes will help him gain full time employment. “When I found out about this traineeship opportunity and what it involved, I jumped at the chance because it is totally different to anything I have ever done and my aim is to work in a job

After working many years in the retail industry, Wanda then spent some time driving delivery trucks, which she really enjoyed. A transgender woman, Wanda found that she could not continue working in the transport industry for medical reasons while she began her transition from male to female. Having heard about the Skilling Queenslanders for Work course through her jobactive provider,

Contracted by the Australian Government to deliver the jobactive program, a program to support eligible job seekers into employment, the BUSY At Work team at Noosaville got ‘busy’ and started referring Jona for similar positions in hospitality. It soon became clear that this was not the best strategy as the hospitality industry in the region was still struggling to get

A single mum, it was vital that Maggie found work that fit in with her children’s school pick-up times and this made it difficult. BUSY At Work, her jobactive provider in Mossman in far north Queensland, supported Maggie with short courses in computer skills, job search strategies and interview skills. Always interested in the hospitality industry, Maggie then enrolled in

Having completed the first two weeks of theory in Ipswich, the participants have since moved to Ormeau three days a week where they have been building planter boxes, dog houses and tables which they will take home to their families. One of the participants in the program, William, said the sign-up process was fairly simple, “I applied for the course

With the impact of the recent COVID-19 lockdowns again starting to bite, the Queensland government in late July launched another initiative aimed at supporting eligible small and medium employers with a $5,000 grant. With Commonwealth support this has now been boosted to be between $10,000 and $30,000 for eligible businesses. The lockdown grants are available for businesses right across the

Kaitlyn was happily working in Child Care and then at a swimming pool teaching kids how to swim before she decided it was time for a change. As Kaitlyn was scrolling through Seek one day, she came across a traineeship through Group Training Organisation, Skill 360, at the Cairns Regional Council that would allow her to gain a Certificate III

After bouncing between workplaces, Tyrone was looking for full-time work but unfortunately found nothing that fit inside his sons’ school care hours. When Tyrone heard about a paid traineeship at the Wynnum Manly District Cricket Club, funded through the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program he jumped at the chance. The paid traineeship would provide him with a Certificate I in

Originally from Melbourne, Chris has been living in Wynnum (QLD) for the past five years and within that time, has completed his Vet Nursing certificate and many hours volunteering in the industry. With the events of COVID-19 making it difficult for him to further his career, Chris decided to press pause and instead try something different. Having been unemployed for

Since COVID hit in 2020, the centre saw an initial increase in persons who had relied on the hospitality industry for an income (particularly international students) and sadly, a huge spike in requests from families in domestic violence situations. The centre also had to change it’s way of service delivery to staggered appointments and take away meals. Dianne Kozik, General

Rhys was working as a baggage handler at an airport a few years ago until choosing to leave the workforce to focus his time and energy on taking care of his mother who had fallen ill, and his grandmother who had just moved in at the time. Having recently heard about an opportunity to do a Certificate I in Conservation

The mantra must have worked because the year has brought Gladis a bounty of good fortune including a new career path, new friendships and better health! Originally from Cairns, Gladis and her family moved to Toowoomba two years ago in pursuit of a better life for herself and her children. Her children range in ages from 3 to 21 and

NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself.  You can find out more about the origins and history of NAIDOC Week. In short, NAIDOC week is about recognising and celebrating the history, culture and

Apprentices and trainees 2020 – December quarter released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) provides a national picture of apprenticeship and traineeship activity, including both quarterly and annual figures that can be broken down by state and territory. It also includes information on the main movements across various demographic and occupational categories. According to the research report,

Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) programs are a set of short upskilling courses that are funded and supported by the Queensland Government. These training programs are perfect for people who are unemployed or under-employed, re-entering the workforce after a little while or disadvantaged job seekers. Since the program launched, Skilling Queenslanders for Work has assisted over 36,000 people into jobs and

Lucky for us, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) have provided some helpful tips on how to successfully submit your tax return for the 2020-2021 period. To make sure you are getting the most possible out of your tax return, you need to be certain about what you can claim. The ATO lists a variety of expenses that you can deduct

Flash forward after leaving school and Maggie found herself in full time administration work, which she wasn’t particularly enjoying but it paid the bills. When Maggie saw a position advertised for a painter her passion for hands-on work and a desire for a trades career was reignited. With a push from her family and friends, Maggie decided to stop thinking