The state government this week announced funding of almost $500,000 for a cadetships program to upgrade skill levels in the forestry industry.
Employment, Training and Industrial Relations Tom Barton says the new cadetships system is part of the $1 billion SmartVET strategy and is aimed at fast-tracking training and offering higher-level qualifications for those wishing to enter industries currently facing skill shortages.
"Cadetships are designed to complement traditional apprenticeships and traineeships and will allow students to acquire a certificate IV-level qualification in one year through a registered training organisation," he says.
"They will then transfer to work-based training for one or two years while they complete more advanced diploma-level subjects which require on-the-job industry experience to achieve industry recognised competency."
The government has committed $484,000 to fund the 40 new cadetships.
"A key feature of the forest and forest products cadetships initiative that differentiates it from traditional traineeships is the requirement for forestry enterprises to provide carefully planned three-year work placements for cadets," Barton says.
The pilot cadetship project will be managed by the Queensland Food and Forest Industry Training Advisory Body, with training places being offered to enterprises, in partnership with selected registered training organisations.
Additionally, the government this week also announced a $141,000 grant from the Industry Training Partnerships program to allow 70 food processing and seafood industry employees from Cairns, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Toowoomba and south-east Queensland to update their skills.
Under the partnerships initiative, the government provides 50% of funding for training, with industry contributing the other half.
Barton says the grant will allow 50 food processing industry employees and 20 seafood industry employees to undertake training through Food Safety Operations (Queensland), a registered training organisation.
Participating companies include Action Supermarkets and Goldmac Australian Macadamias.
Food Safety Operations (Queensland) contract co-ordinator Darren O'Reilly says employees will receive training to qualify them with a nationally recognised Certificate III in Food Processing or a Certificate III in the Seafood Industry (Seafood Processing).
"Through this training, participants will gain skills in areas including quality assurance, food safety, occupational health and safety, production specifications, yield maximisation, product preservation and product spoilage," he says.