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

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 start his apprenticeship in light vehicle mechanics and everything was working out great. However, even with the best laid plans, life can take a dramatic twist and

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

The move is another strategy to address skills shortages for 139 industries and is expected to progress approximately 60,000 young people into a trade in the next four years.  These trades include electrical work, plumbing, engineering, health care, hospitality, early childhood education, baking, commercial cookery and hairdressing. In addition to incentives already offered to businesses including tax cuts for taking

We see a lot of resumes come through our hands… these are the top tips we believe are crucial to contributing to your success in the preparation of your job specific resume! Must Do’s Ensure it looks professional by using the same fonts and the same size text (perhaps slightly larger for your headings) Stick to a Word format –

Share a picture or video on Instagram and you could win a pair of work shoes for you and your bestie! Tell us about your funniest moments together and how they make your day that much better. We will share the best entries on our Instagram, and the post with the most likes will win a pair of work shoes*

Most people are aware of the standard questions that are asked in an interview and a prepared job seeker will have something rehearsed for even the most dreaded questions like ‘what would you consider to be your greatest weakness?’ or ‘where do you see yourself in five years?’ If you really want to get to know a potential candidate, throwing

The Additional Identified Skills Shortage (AISS) payment incentive is part of $156.3 million of the overall promised investment into the vocational education sector. The strategy is expected to encourage the uptake of 80,000 new apprentices into these identified industry roles over the next five years: Carpenters and Joiners Plumbers Hairdressers Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics Bricklayers and Stonemasons Plasterers Bakers and

All of the above was the case for Tom when he first signed up with BUSY At Work and the Transition to Work program. Tom’s story is not uncommon for many young people who have left school and are struggling with health issues or personal hardships. When Tom did recover from his health issues, he put everything he could into

Queensland’s State Budget, announced yesterday by the State Treasurer Jackie Trad, shows the government’s commitment to jobs growth in regional Queensland, including a $49.5 billion infrastructure spend over four years. According to the announcement, the Palaszczuk Government is “focused on providing people with the right skills to drive a strong economic future, with a focus on delivering jobs, supporting small

Rod Talbot, owner of Talbot Bricklaying had just begun to breathe life back into his small business after recovering from a car accident late last year. Business was picking up and it was time to start thinking about hiring an extra hand. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect when Katrina Curcuruto called, asking if he was interested in hiring

After the slight increase in March unemployment rate which rose from 5% to 5.1%, another rise in April, creeping up to 5.2% is a concerning trend, according to the latest information released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Once again, a two-speed economy is evident with New South Wales and Victoria still experiencing strong job markets. In the past

The Western Australian State Government will soon offer incentives of up to $8,500 to employ an apprentice or trainee. Announced by Premier Mark McGowan in last week’s 2019-20 State Budget, the incentives are estimated to help 6,000 businesses in Western Australia and, along with other training subsidies, will cost $182 million. This cost will be offset by removing the existing

March labour figures, recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), continue to show a steady unemployment rate at 5%, up slightly from February rate at 4.9%. The trend monthly underemployment rate also remained steady at 8.2 per cent and decreased by 0.4 percentage points over the year. New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia all remained steady while

You’re probably no stranger to setting goals. Whether it’s something work related like getting a promotion, or something more personal like losing weight, we’ve all set goals at some point. Even our long forgotten New Year’s resolutions can be classified as a type of goal, as can our desire to get through our to-do list before the end of the

After devoting fifteen years to raising her four young boys, Lisa Roberts had the opportunity to revisit her career path and find a job she truly loves. Like many mothers re-entering the workforce after a long period, Lisa found it was difficult because employers were often looking for recent workplace skills. Having always had a love of nature and gardening,

Last night’s budget announcement included particular skills-shortage occupations that are promised to receive further incentives under the Additional Identified Skills Shortage (AISS) payment, worth $156.3 million of the overall investment into the vocational education sector. The AISS payment will offer employers double the current financial incentive of $4,000 (for eligible occupations), increasing this amount to $8,000. Over the next five

The labour force figures for February, released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), indicates the summer holiday period is officially over and the Australian workforce is back in full swing. As a nation, Australians rolled up their sleeves and worked 2.6 million more hours in February than we did in January. The report also showed an increase

With an average of one in four people experiencing anxiety at some stage in their life, it’s no surprise that Aussies are experiencing anxiety in the workplace. This has a massive impact not only on the individual, but on the business with 92% of serious work-related mental health condition claims being attributed to mental stress and one in five Australians

A footballers career is an exhilarating one, just ask Ash Taylor, half-back for the Gold Coast Titans. In the 2018 season Ash achieved 17 try-assists for the team and his pre-season lead-up this year indicates he is one to watch, evident in his commitment for ongoing improvement. But like many elite sporting careers, football careers often run short and players

According to the most recent labour force figures for January, just released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there are 218,600 more persons employed full-time and 76,800 more persons employed part-time in Australia, compared to twelve months ago. Further, over the past year, trend employment increased by 295,500 persons (or 2.4%), which was above the average annual growth rate over

A former teacher, Sarah Williams, has always been passionate about educating young people. Now the owner of the Boost Juice franchise at Riverlink, Springfield, Sarah recently signed up her 4th school-based trainee, Avriel Jaggard, through Apprenticeship and Traineeship providers, BUSY At Work. Eager to assist young people transition into the workplace once they complete school, Boost Juice has a very

Employment provider BUSY At Work has today unveiled a state-of-the-art, world first virtual reality app designed to revolutionise the way young people choose an apprenticeship. VApprentice is a gamification app that provides potential apprentices with a virtual experience of jobs ranging across sectors such as hospitality, construction and retail. BUSY At Work Managing Director Paul Miles said that it is

With an award-winning reputation for serving local, ‘farm-to-fork’ produce and exceptional food, the Bluebird Kitchen and Smokehouse in Warwick is the perfect learning environment for passionate, up-and-coming cook, Julia Walker. In April 2017, Apprentice and Trainee experts, BUSY At Work, signed up Julia (then a year 11 student), to the school-based apprenticeship opportunity at Bluebird Kitchen, owned by husband and

Since the age of 14, Brock Hodgson has dreamed of becoming a jeweller. Fast forward to eight years later and he is on his way, thanks to an apprenticeship opportunity in jewellery manufacturing with Stephen Dibb Jewellers, signed up through BUSY At Work. Just weeks into his apprenticeship with the reputable Brisbane jewellers, Brock was chosen as a finalist in

There’s no doubt that completing an apprenticeship can lead to a successful career. Take a look at these famous Aussies, who have completed a VET qualification and have gone on to do big things. 1. Matt Moran – Celebrity Chef Celebrity chef Matt Moran is now a household name and started his career by studying Commercial Cookery at TAFE. Although