The Queensland Government has delivered $46.7 million in funding for Skilling Queenslanders for Work. Here is how Goodness Enterprises is turning that support into real jobs for Ipswich youth.
The Queensland Government has delivered $46.7 million in funding through the Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) initiative — and for disadvantaged youth and job seekers across Ipswich and West Moreton, it could not come at a better time. SQW funds community organisations to deliver local training and employment pathways, backing 166 projects across Queensland. For Goodness Enterprises, this is the engine behind our traineeship programs.
We run fully-paid, government-funded vocational training pathways across construction, conservation, and hospitality. These are not short courses that leave you with a piece of paper and no experience. They are six-month, hands-on traineeships where participants earn nationally recognised certificates while doing real work on real projects — from building infrastructure at the Chuwar site to regenerating bushland in the Conservation Reserve.
What sets our SQW programs apart is the wrap-around support. A trainee here is not just a number in a system. They get pastoral care, mentorship, and a pathway that often leads directly into employment — either within Goodness Enterprises' own social enterprises or with partner employers across the region. We have seen trainees move from long-term unemployment into stable careers, and from there into leadership roles. That transformation is the whole point.
This funding means more places, more courses, and more support for the people who need it most. If you are aged 15 to 24 and disengaged from education or work, or if you are an adult job seeker looking for a fresh start, SQW through Goodness Enterprises could be your pathway. Eligibility is broader than most people think, and our team can walk you through it.
It is worth saying plainly: these programs work because they treat people as people, not as outcomes. A certificate is important, but so is confidence, connection, and being part of something bigger than yourself. That is what we offer alongside the training. And when a trainee graduates into a job that lets them support their family for the first time, that is the return on every dollar of SQW funding — and then some.
If you or someone you know is ready for a fresh start, reach out. The funding is there, the places are opening, and the next cohort is forming now. It is in us to help — and sometimes that help starts with a single application.
Hayden J. Te Runa
Community Impact Writer, Goodness Enterprises
Hayden is a proud Ipswich local and the voice behind the Goodness Enterprises impact stories. Through the HASSLFREE Digital partnership, he helps local businesses grow online while feeding families across the West Moreton region. His writing focuses on the real people, partnerships, and programs transforming the Ipswich community.