First Start

Are you looking for a traineeship?

Would you like to join the Queensland public sector or a not-for-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 25 hours per week or less
• recently retrenched workers who have been out of work for three months or more

An overall objective of the program is that 50% of participants will be women.

Approval must be sought prior to employment if you wish to select a person outside these equity groupings. Exceptional circumstances would need to apply before any request is approved.

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 councils
• not-for-profit 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
• apply directly to Queensland Government departments, group training organisations or Australian Apprenticeships

For more information, contact your local DEEDI office on 1300 369 925.

Download the funding guidelines

• First Start Funding Guidelines (PDF, 131 KB)

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