First Start
Are you looking for a traineeship?
Would you like to join the Queensland public service or a non-profit community organisation?
If you fit into any of the following target groups, you are eligible for a traineeship under the First Start program:
- young people ranging from school leavers up to 24 years
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
- people from a non-English speaking background
- people with a disability
- people unemployed for more than 12 months
- women re-entering the workforce
- mature-age people (45 years and over)
- people living in country and remote areas
- Australian South Sea Islanders
- people employed for less than 20 hours a week.
An overall objective of the program is that 50% of participants will be women.
Except in exceptional circumstances, only those in at least one of the above categories are eligible for a traineeship under the First Start program.
About traineeships
A traineeship:
- is an entry-level, paid position for jobseekers with little or no work experience
- gives you both practical on-the-job experience and training at a registered training organisation (college).
- usually takes 12 months to complete, depending on how quickly you gain the required skills.
At the end of the traineeship there is no guarantee that you will gain a permanent job, but every effort will be made to help you find ongoing employment.
Full-time positions are available across Queensland with:
- local government authorities
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community councils
- not-for-profit incorporated community organisations.
Finding traineeship positions
To find a traineeship position:
- search the Queensland Government jobs and careers site—remember that most government recruitment occurs between January and June each year
- respond to newspaper job advertisements
- contact your local Job Network office on telephone 13 62 68
- visit the Australian Job Search (non-Queensland Government link)
- apply directly to Queensland Government departments, group training organisations or Australian Apprenticeships (non-Queensland Government link).
For more information, contact your local DEIR office on 1300 369 925.
Funding guidelines
View/print the First Start Funding Guidelines (PDF, 131 KB)
Last updated 06 October 2009