The Morrison Government's $18.4 million Regional Employment Trials (RET) program is helping job seekers in Townsville find meaningful work.
Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, said RET is another way the Government is actively addressing the needs of regional Australia and creating more job opportunities for locals.
"The North Queensland Together We're Stronger project aims to support local unemployed people with a focus on employment in the aged care sector," Minister Cash said.
"The project aims to increase the pool of job-ready people to work in the local aged care industry."
Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson said the project will help develop and retain individuals who are the right fit for the aged care sector.
"I'm committed to making sure job opportunities are available for the people of Townsville and providing practical and tailored assistance to those job seekers who need it," said Mr Thompson.
"This is exactly the type of support people in the region need."
The North Queensland Together We're Stronger project received over $150,000 in Federal Government funding and aims to assist 175 unemployed participants.
The project in Townsville - which is also running in Mt Isa - is supported by Aged and Community Services Australia and an Australian Government funded North Queensland Employment Facilitator who works directly with stakeholders to assist employers and job seekers.
Through RET, $1 million is available in each of the 10 selected regions, providing grants of between $7,500 and $200,000 to support employment related projects that meet local needs.
The RET regions are:
- Northern Inland RDA region, NSW
- Far South Coast RDA region, NSW
- Melbourne (Western Melbourne/North Western Melbourne Employment Regions only), VIC
- Gippsland RDA region, VIC
- Townsville and North West (Townsville Employment Region only), QLD
- Wide Bay Burnett RDA region, QLD
- Murraylands and Riverland RDA region, SA
- Yorke and Mid North Region RDA region, SA
- Peel RDA region, WA
- Tasmania (North and North West Tasmania Employment Region only), TAS
