More than $250 million will be invested to address the skills shortage in Queensland.
State Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Minister Ros Bates said $201 million would be spent on building new centres of excellence and $50m to expand apprenticeships, with the hope of providing candidates with the right skills to fill 430,000 new jobs expected by 2028.
Minister Bates said the new Right Skills Strategy 2025 – 2028 was looking to rebuild Queensland’s skills pipeline.
She said the new centres of excellence would be built in Caloundra, Moreton Bay, South Moreton Bay Islands and Rockhampton.
“Queensland’s training system has been neglected, campuses underutilised and opportunities lost.”
Minister Bates said the $50 million expansion in apprenticeships would focus on skills in the housing, health care, and construction sectors.
She said there would be free and low-cost training for Queenslanders starting out, upskilling, or returning to work, including young people, women, and veterans.
“$2 million would also be spent recruiting the next generation of trainers, ensuring high-quality training across Queensland.”
Minister Bates said the Strategy delivered on the National Skills Agreement, with joint State and Federal funding of $98.7 million to help apprentices, trainees, and students complete their training; $15 million to improve access to foundation skills and $1.9 million to support Queensland’s transition to a new national VET data system.
