A University of the Sunshine Coast project delivering free courses, funded by the Queensland Government, to small and family businesses across Queensland has been named a finalist in the Shaping Australia Awards for 2026.
The Queensland Government-funded UniSC Business Short Courses are in the running to be named Community Champion in the 2026 Shaping Australia Awards.
While a judging panel will decide the category winners in January 2027, the public can influence the outcome - with People's Choice voting open from Wednesday 4 November to Tuesday 19 January. Cast your vote here.
UniSC Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett, encouraged Queenslanders to throw their support behind the courses by voting.
Dr Wayne Graham delivers a business short course in Cairns
"Our business short courses are a strong example of how a university can recognise a need in the community and can mobilise its expertise to deliver support where it's needed most in a flexible and accessible way," Professor Bartlett said.
"The short courses, which have been completed by more than 2,000 Queensland small and family businesses, include Leveraging AI, Business Planning, Continuity and Resilience, and Workforce Development - all delivering crucial industry knowledge to help businesses adapt and stay competitive, and delivered for free thanks to the support of the Queensland Government."
Designed to meet the needs of busy small business owners, the Queensland Government-funded courses offer flexible delivery options, including face-to-face, online learning, and flexible formats ensuring accessibility for businesses regardless of their location, schedule, or learning preferences.
So far, the courses have been delivered in-person at the Sunshine Coast, and Cairns, with Ipswich and other locations soon to come.
Queensland Government-funded business short courses
UniSC in partnership with the Queensland Government offer a suite of free planning courses to help businesses and organisations achieve their strategic goals. Courses are available in business, workforce and continuity planning.
Professor Bartlett said supporting small business was one of the ways universities could make a tangible difference in their communities, particularly when we work in partnership with government and industry.
"When people can gain skills without having to leave their communities, those capabilities more often than not stay in our regions and contribute to building better businesses and the prosperity of Australia more broadly," Professor Bartlett said.
Senior Lecturer and Academic Lead Dr Wayne Graham, pictured, said the Australian commercial landscape was evolving rapidly and business owners had shown they were keen to stay abreast of the latest opportunities.
"We are working with business owners across Queensland who have their own unique challenges, and they are telling us these courses not only bring them up to date with the tools available to them, but also allow them to network with other like-minded business owners that are navigating similar challenges," Dr Graham said.
"We've co-designed the courses with industry experts to ensure the content across all of the courses equip business owners and their staff with skills they can use immediately and build on into the future."
One finalist in each of the three categories - teaching, research and community - will be selected for a People's Choice Award based on the highest number of votes.
From there, the Shaping Australia Awards judging panel will meet at the end of January 2027 to select the three winners across each category.
All finalists will be invited to the Universities Australia gala dinner and Shaping Australia Awards ceremony on Wednesday, 24 February 2027 at Parliament House, Canberra, where the winners will be announced.
