The course, which was conducted on site at Kilcoy Motocross, assisted with construction projects including landscaping, replacing timber decks and more. Matthew Hayes, one of the participants in the course said he feels more confident in getting back into the workforce after being a single parent for the past five or so years, looking after his young daughter. Matthew used

Paul Miles, Managing Director for The BUSY Group who provide a range of skills and employment programs including Australian Apprenticeship Support services stated “We’re excited for the next chapter of Queensland’s recovery and welcome the investment in education and infrastructure that will create jobs for Queenslanders, particularly in the construction, health and education sectors as well as the investment in

BUSY At Work, an Australian Apprenticeship Support Network provider and part of The BUSY Group who provide a range of programs and services to support skills and employment growth, are witnessing a phenomenal number of job vacancy opportunities in the last month or so and believe it is a result of the Australian Government’s stimulus package to support our economic

Eliza was chosen for the first scholarship intake in March 2020 to develop her passion for community services. The scholarship awards young Australians up to $5,000 a year, to study a vocational education and training (VET) qualification and $3,000 to complete an internship. Eliza completed her internship with the Mooroopna Education and Activity Centre (MEAC) in northern Victoria and gained

Announced at the recent 2020/2021 budget, the Australian Government has announced initiatives to stimulate jobs and our economy. Included in this package was the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements which offers any employer (of any size or industry) a 50% wage subsidy when employing a new apprentice or trainee from October 5 2020. This is capped at 100,000 apprentice or trainee places.

The key points in the 2020 Budget included: Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements In addition to the $2 billion spent on the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees  50% wage subsidy, an additional $1.2 billion has been committed for employers to place a new or recommencing apprentice or trainee, with the goal of 100,000 new and recommencing apprentices and trainees placed. Youth Employment JobMaker – $4 billion investment

While things have picked up since June this year, with SEEK reporting an increase in job vacancy advertising, there is no doubting it’s a tough job market. Finding secure work in an insecure and highly competitive environment can be difficult but knowing where to look and if required, how to re-skill to change careers will play to your advantage, with

While losing her job and income was a blow, Jessie had always wanted to be a hairdresser and in the past had completed a Certificate II Salon Assistant qualification. She decided now was the time to act. Working in the café, Jessie had gotten to know the salon owner Sue Syson of Urban Fringe, a hairdressing salon close by. So

Data from the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training shows there has been a 19% increase in female enrolments for trade courses in the automotive industry and a whopping 32% increase in engineering pathways. A recent Diesel Automotive course funded by the Queensland Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work program and delivered by BUSY At Work in partnership with TAFE

The results were mixed though with underemployment remaining high and Victoria’s lockdowns impacting the unemployment rate in that State. The ABS revealed that nationwide, 111,000 more people found employment between July and August. Of those 74,800 people found part time work and 36,200 people were employed full time. However the impacts of Covid-19 this year has seen 234,200 less people

Here are just a few examples of some extraordinary people in Australia with disability who are thriving in the work place! Dr Dinesh Palipana – Gold Coast Emergency Doctor In 2010, on a car trip from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, Dinesh Palipana’s car spun out of control in the wet and the resulting accident left him with a spinal

Not all disabilities are visible and with 1 in 5 Australians experiencing disability at some point in their lives, chances are we work alongside colleagues with disability, or have lived with disability ourselves. With that being said, how accessible is your workplace for those with disability? Ensuring an inclusive workplace makes good business sense, with access to a larger pool

Did you know 1 in 5 people in Australia is living with disability yet only 54% of those are employed? It’s a statistic that needs referring to because with ever-growing skills shortages, there is an untapped workforce that deserves looking at more closely. Not just to fill skills gaps but to potentially increase productivity, boost staff morale and lessen staff

As highlighted by Paralympian and world tennis star Dylan Alcott’s campaign ‘Remove the Barrier’ , which aims to highlight the invisible barrier that persons with disability often experience when looking for work, less focus needs to be on the disability and more on a person’s ability to perform the role. Oliver Hunter, who features in Dylan Alcotts campaign says it well,

Update: We had two overall winners in the Queensland State Training Awards. Big congratulations to Hastings Deering (Large Employer of the Year for Queensland) and Braden Hellmuth (Harry Hauenschild Apprentice of the Year for Queensland)! A huge congratulations to all our apprentices, trainees and local Queensland employers who took out awards for their regions at this years’ regional Queensland Training

There is no doubting times are tough for many of us right now with over a million Australians currently out of work due to Covid. This ridiculously persistent and pesky bug has rocked the whole world right now, including business, but where some industries are laying off, there are just as many who are requiring staff – and right now.

Ever heard the saying ‘do something you love and you will never work a day in your life?’  Well, while all work has it’s dull or trying moments, it’s true that if you find work that suits your individual strengths, interests and values, you are more likely to enjoy it – and thrive! Whether you prefer outdoor work or indoors,

At an official launch this week at Cleveland, BUSY At Work has officially announced their preferred partnership agreement with Australian Industry Trade College (AITC). The announcement comes after a 12 year relationship between the two organisations where they have remained dedicated to developing skills and career opportunities for young people in Queensland. Australian Industry Trade College offers Year 10, 11

So what does the future hold for job seekers looking for secure employment moving forward? While many people in industries such as the arts, hospitality and tourism took a massive hit with job losses, many other industries have ‘risen from the ashes’ since the pandemic hit us earlier in 2020. In no particular order, here are the top 7 industries

As part of its response to keep Australia working during the current pandemic, the Australian Government announced today that it will extend the JobSeeker payments until the end of the year (with a possibility of extending beyond then) and JobKeeper payments until March 2021, with some changes. Unveiled today by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, these changes will occur after September

Now more than ever Australia is looking to rebuild our economy and re-skill job seekers for new industries that are providing great opportunities. With encouragement from the Australian Government to re-skill for these industries, it may be the perfect time to consider an apprenticeship or traineeship pathway – or a trainee or apprentice for your business. Apprenticeship Central is the

Exciting news for employers looking to put on staff – access to funding of up to $20,000 will remain available when employing an eligible apprentice or trainee. The Queensland Government has just announced that the Back to Work program has been extended through to 30 June 2021 or until the available funding of $70 million has been fully allocated. Under

Thanks to the Community Development Grants, an initiative of Ipswich City Council, BUSY At Work were recently successful in obtaining a grant of $3,335 to purchase tools for their Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) programs. The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative offers work experience programs and partial accreditation towards a qualification, for disadvantaged job seekers in Ipswich. The SQW programs

Pretty sure we can all agree that 2020 has been a crazy year so far. Pandemic anyone?  Let’s hope, like the second half of a bad-start football game, we make an amazing comeback. With tax time upon us, this financial year there are special considerations when lodging a return for the 2019-2020 period. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) has provided

Despite the impacts that 2020 have had on us all, it is encouraging news for job seekers in Far North Queensland, Emerald and the Sunshine Coast that jobactive provider BUSY At Work, partnering with CoAct, has achieved a 5-star rating for 75% of its jobactive sites! BUSY At Work, a part of the BUSY Group Ltd, received a 5-star rating

While having a job equates to earning money to afford to pay your bills and live well, a career is much more than that. A career is a long term goal towards fulfilling your inner values, utilising your personal strengths and talents, and inspiring your continuous growth. According to the Career Industry Council of Australia who are responsible for the

The Skills Checkpoint for Older Workers (SCOW) assists mature age workers (aged 45-70) who are either in the workforce or recently unemployed (3 months or less). In light of our ageing population, the Australian Government recognises the need to keep mature age workers in the workforce and the program aims to retain the vital skills and experience that mature age

UPDATE 11th September 2020: Alex has won the Queensland Training Awards’s Apprentice of the Year 2020 and Equiy VET student of the year for SE Queensland region! With a passion for cars and his beloved motorcycle, all Alex ever wanted to do was work as a mechanic. In 2014 he was over the moon to be given the opportunity to

Under the scheme, apprentices will need to have been in employment by March 1 but wages will be back paid from January 1. To encourage businesses and Group Training Organisations to pick up apprentices or trainees who have been let go, larger businesses may also be eligible for the wage pay-back if they take on an out-of-trade apprentice or trainee.

BUSY Schools is the brain child of The BUSY Group Ltd, a not for profit organisation which has been delivering employment and training solutions over 40 years. The BUSY Schools model provides Year 11 and 12 students, who aren’t suited to traditional school systems, the required school curriculum studies in addition to practical accreditation training for trades and industry. Students

Under the Commonwealth Scholarships Program for Young Australians, eligible recipients will complete a VET course, with funding support of up to $5000 per year, and a 20-business day paid internship, receiving $3000 for the internship work. Host employers will also receive $500 per intern. The scholarships target occupations identified in projected growth industries and in demand occupations and are delivered

The BUSY team is very pleased today, to begin the new Federal Government contract for the Australian Apprenticeships Support Network program. The services that BUSY is offering under the new contract contain some excellent opportunities for employers and their apprentices or trainees to extend support options throughout the life of their contract. Some of the exciting new offerings include: An

BUSY At Work Managing Director, Paul Miles, and National Seniors Australia General Manager, Chris Grice, today announced that their two organisations have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding. BUSY At Work and National Seniors Australia have entered into this strategic agreement in order to promote the Skills Checkpoint for Older Workers Program in Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory, Western Australia,

Inspired by his mother, who works in the industry, Dominic said “I decided to pursue child care as a career path because it offers plenty of variety during the working day (you never get bored), and it is also really rewarding. So far I have completed my Certificate III and I’m now onto my Diploma”. Dominic’s manager at Imagine, Skye

Finding a career that makes you happy should be the priority right? However, all too often it is academic ability that tends to dictate a person’s career path, especially when leaving school and deciding your next move. Do you go onto university, enter the workforce or undertake a qualification like an apprenticeship?  We believe many paths can lead to career

Managing Staff Turnover “Clients do not come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your clients.” Sir Richard Branson According to leading human resource consultancy firm Harrisons, depending on the size of your business, the total costs of replacing an employee varies from 30-150% of their salary. This cost includes replacement costs, re-training costs

The trend unemployment rate in Australia has remained steady again for the fourth month in a row at 5.3%, according to the latest information released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics earlier this week.  This figure is 0.2 percentage points higher than the same time last year, according to ABS Chief Economist Bruce Hockman. “The increase in the unemployment rate

Jasper Greinke always had a passion for finding out how things work and picking apart electronic devices. That’s why choosing to complete his final two years of high school at the Australian Industry Trade College was the best decision he ever made, Jasper said. Three years ago, Jasper was the very first apprentice to sign up under BUSY At Work’s

Federal Minister the Hon Karen Andrews MP was on hand this morning to officially launch the GC150 at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, with over 50 local businesses and young people in attendance. BUSY At Work Managing Director Paul Miles said that it is important for young people to know that they can have a great life and fantastic careers here

Shai Darby, 19, has always felt a strong desire to care for and nurture others. “When I was younger, my best friend’s dad was diagnosed with a brain tumour. I was in and out of the hospital with him and I just saw the way that the nurses helped him and comforted him through that whole process, and I was

Piper Tindall grew up always giving and taking care of those around her, so it’s only fitting that she has now commenced a full-time role as a childcare worker! The 18-year-old from Buderim, Queensland always had lots of family in her life from a young age. “Growing up, we had a lot of foster kids around, there was always a

Paul Miles, BUSY At Work Managing Director, said he was extremely pleased that BUSY At Work had once again secured the contracts for the apprenticeship service delivery, this time with an increased reach with the addition of the Torres Strait Islands. “Winning the contract again is an outstanding accomplishment for us, and I’m very excited to see that our team’s

Joshua Casley has tried a little bit of everything, before settling into his casual position as a teacher’s aide. The Sippy Downs resident is a participant in BUSY At Work’s Transition to Work program, which helps disadvantaged youth aged 15-21 with career and education opportunities. “Originally when I came to BUSY At Work, I was lacking direction. Fresh out of

Nancy Pilot from the Torres Strait was a stay at home mum for 11 years, before she officially signed into a Certificate III in Hospitality last year, working as a trainee at the Mossman Gorge Centre in Far North Queensland. Now, mother of three Nancy has completed her traineeship and is a casual worker at the Mossman Gorge Centre. “I’m

Sam Wallis has always enjoyed being in nature. “I’ve always been an outdoors person. I love camping, fishing, stuff like that,” the 19 year old said. Lucky for Sam, he is undertaking a three year horticulture apprenticeship that Cairns Regional Council (CRC) has created in support of BUSY At Work’s Cairns50 campaign. Last year Sam undertook a Work Skills Traineeship

Like many young people who have left school, Ethan Johnson was at a crossroads and didn’t know what to do next with his life. After dropping out of school in year 9, Ethan got a full-time job. “I hated school. I was always in trouble and doing stupid stuff. So I started working at Maccas for 38 hours a week,

With past participants in the program achieving an impressive 83% rate of ongoing employment and a further 12% going on to further training programs, they have good reason to be optimistic. Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) is a Queensland Government funded program aimed at providing essential work place skills for disadvantaged job seekers, including young people and those who have

The historic 86 year old Binna Burra Lodge in the Gold Coast hinterland was well known to locals and travellers alike as a refuge for bushwalkers, holiday makers and school camps. Sadly, the Lodge is now a charred ruin with an uncertain future, the recent fires devastating the heritage-listed building and the beautiful flora and fauna surrounding it. The fires

With every online ad application you are completing, there can be hundreds of others competing for the same position. High odds indeed. Below are some ‘out-of-the-box’ tips for finding work! Networking: A mix of perfect timing and interacting It is estimated that approximately 60% of all jobs are not advertised. The reason for this is that before business managers decide

“I grew up looking after my little cousins and there were plenty of them, more than you can count on two hands!  I guess that taught me what it takes to look after children. I like inspiring kids to play outdoors, kicking the ball and having fun. That’s what being a kid is about”. Damon said. Damon’s employer at Little