Find the right government program to help you access free assistance while you are looking for work, changing your career or gaining additional skills.
Apprentices are trained in a skilled trade (e.g. electrical, plumbing, cabinet-making, automotive) and, upon successful completion, become a qualified tradesperson. Apprenticeships generally take up to 4 years to complete.
Local Australian Apprenticeship Support Network providers assist and support apprentices, trainees and employers from pre-commencement to completion.
Certificate 3 Guarantee (C3G) supports eligible individuals to complete their first post-school certificate III qualification.
Certificate 3 Guarantee Plus (C3G Plus) provides eligible Queenslanders with a second chance to access subsidised training. C3G Plus is for jobseekers, or workers at risk of unemployment, who already hold a certificate 3 (or higher) qualification but need updated skills to gain, change or retain employment.
Young Australians, in eligible regions, can apply for a scholarship of up to $13,000 to undertake eligible qualifications in projected growth industries and in-demand occupations.
Community Foundation Skills, part of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative, assists Queenslanders with low level language, literacy, numeracy and digital (LLND) skills to equip them with the knowledge and confidence to participate successfully in a modern knowledge economy.
Employability Skills Training (EST) provides intensive pre-employment training to help develop your job search skills and workplace skills. EST offers 2 different blocks of training, each 75 hours long over 3–5 weeks.
Support for individuals to start a business is available through 4 key measures: Entrepreneurship Facilitators, SelfStart Online Hub, the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) and workshops providing young people with a taste of self-employment.
The Enterprise Skills for Youth Project provides young people, aged between 15 and 24 years, with funding for accredited short courses and additional support services (e.g. Blue card, industry licensing, work ready sessions) to assist in getting a job.
Fee Free TAFE allows eligible Queenslanders to complete recognised training in a priority qualification, through TAFE Queensland and CQUniversity only. This program replaces Free TAFE for under 25s, with an expanded qualification list and eligibility criteria.
The Queensland Government will cover the full cost of your training with an eligible training provider when you choose a high priority apprenticeship or traineeship. You must commence, or have commenced, between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2023.
Get Set for Work, part of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative, provides intensive employment and training assistance over a 12-month period to young, disengaged Queenslanders aged 15-19 years.
The Higher Level Skills (HLS) program aims to assist individuals to gain the higher-level skills required to secure employment or career advancement in a priority industry, or to transition to university to further their studies.
The Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathways Project (IYMP) aims to help young Indigenous Australians with tailored advice and support to relocate for education, work or training and achieve their long-term career goals.
Link and Launch officers are based at participating schools to connect with young people who have completed year 12 but not yet transitioned to further study, training or work. The program is run on school sites but is separate from the rest of the school, and you don't need to be a former student of the school to participate.
