Breaking the Unemployment Cycle
The Queensland Government introduced the Breaking the Unemployment Cycle initiative in 1998, at a time of near record unemployment. It reached its target of creating 100,000 jobs in April 2006—a year ahead of schedule.
Funding for the initiative ended on 30 June 2007, when it was replaced by the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative. This has a greater emphasis on skilling for work as:
- the unemployment rate has fallen below five per cent
- there is high jobs growth but many jobs are unfilled
- there are record numbers of apprentices and trainees
- the population is ageing, which is reducing the number of available workers.
Read the history of Breaking the Unemployment Cycle and what it acheived (PDF 2 MB)
Programs 2004–07
Funding for the following programs ceased on 30 June 2007, when customised assistance packages for disadvantaged jobseekers became available under the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative.
- The Back to Work: Parents and Carers program funded projects to help long-term unemployed parents and carers find work by giving them customised pre-employment training.
- The aim of the Community Jobs Plan—Work Placements program was to give those who had been unemployed for more than 12 months work experience and training to help them get back into the workforce.
- The aim of the Community Jobs Plan—Employment Assistance program was to help those who had been unemployed for more than 12 months prepare for employment, search for jobs, and access training.
- The Experience Pays Participation Strategy included projects to meet the employment and training needs of mature-aged jobseekers
- Under the Training in Communities program, organisations were funded to give training and related assistance to those who were least competitive in the labour market or found it difficult to access learning or training opportunities.
- Under the Multicultural Employment Strategy community-based organisations were funded to assist people from a non-English speaking background access employment assistance.
The following programs have been reshaped and are continuing under the new initiative.
- Under the First Start program, the Queensland Government pays public sector agencies, not-for-profit community organisations, and local government agencies a subsidy of $5,000, $10,000 or $14, 000 to take on additional trainees.
- The Get Set for Work program is designed to help young people aged 15–17 gain the skills and experience that employers want is also continuing under the new initiative.
- Indigenous employment programs designed to help Indigenous Queenslanders gain the skills they needed to get jobs and share in the economic development of their local communities have been reshaped, and similar assistance measures are now available under the new initiative.
- Under Youth Training Incentives, public and private sector employers are offered cash incentives to increase the number of school-based apprenticeships and traineeships. This is continuing under Skilling Queenslanders for Work.
- The Worker Assistance program is still part of Skilling Queenslanders for Work, but is now delivered by the Department of State Development.
What the initiative achieved
- Breaking the Unemployment Cycle - the final chapter... a new beginning (PDF 2 MB)
- Ministerial statement
Previous commitments
The Queensland Government will continue to honour all its commitments to employers and service providers arising from contracts and undertakings under Breaking the Unemployment Cycle.Last updated 22 July 2008