Workforce Now Strategy Event

Around 100 Gold Coast employers and stakeholders attended the Workforce Now workforce strategy event at Parkwood on 10 August 2023, organised by the Queensland Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training. Opening speaker the Hon Di Farmer MP, Queensland Minister for Employment and Small Business, encouraged Queensland businesses to 'think differently' about how they recruit and train. She spoke passionately about the Government's new Industry Workforce Advisor program, a team of specialists from 11 different industries who can help businesses tap into underused pools of potential workers, including people with disabilities, the neuro-diverse, First Nations people, migrants & refugees, the mature-aged and parents with small children. 

Gold Coast Regional Jobs Committee Chair Estella Rodighiero was proud to MC the event, which also featured an inspiring case study from All Purpose Transport CEO Paul Kahlert. All Purpose Transport is the first transport company in Australia to offer all of their workers the opportunity to get a nationally recognised qualification through TAFE Queensland, and incredibly, the uptake was 100%. The investment paid off during COVID, when their highly trained and committed workforce were able to achieve the company's best revenue figures three years in a row, despite the many challenges of the pandemic and staff working from home. Paul also detailed the workplace planning strategies All Purpose Transport have in place to help attract and retain more women, migrants and local school leavers into their workforce, to name a few.

You can download Paul's presentation, plus presentation notes, at the links below. 

To find out more about the support available for businesses and how to access it, click here.