Communities in areas of north, far north and western Queensland impacted by flooding earlier this year will have access to a new training program to help the tourism industry recover.
The Volunteers and Events Training Program, run by TAFE Queensland, is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) as part of the $5 million Tourism Recovery Program.
Minister for Natural Disaster and Emergency Management David Littleproud said the Volunteers and Events Training Program would help tourism communities bounce back.
“We want the tourists to keep coming and spending on the once in a lifetime experience Queensland can offer,” Minister Littleproud said.
“This program will give locals in disaster-affected areas the skills to roll out the red carpet in style.
“We want tourists to have the best experience possible so they spread the word – tourism in Northern Queensland is open for business.”
The Volunteers and Events Training Program is designed to meet the needs of the tourism and events industry in affected areas in North, Far North and Western Queensland, with a heavy focus on building resilience and skills capability. Queensland Minister for Innovation and Tourism Industry Development Kate Jones said the Tourism Recovery Program (which includes the Volunteers and Events Training Program) was another example of the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to growing the tourism industry in North Queensland.
“Thousands of families in North Queensland rely on the tourism industry to put food on the table,” Ms Jones. “We also know that training is crucial to growing this sector and strengthening the local economy. “That’s why we’ve prioritised training programs for the tourism industry to make sure we give locals the skills they need to capitalise on strong demand in this growing industry.”
Queensland Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman said Queenslanders had done it particularly tough over the last two years.
“Providing quality training opportunities is one way we can support Queenslanders to recover and prepare for the future while ensuring we have a skilled workforce for exciting careers in our growing tourism industry,” Minister Fentiman said.
The Volunteers and Events Training Program will target residents of the 39 Local Government Areas affected by the 2019 Monsoon Trough, providing training to unpaid and paid event management workers in the region.
The Program includes 12 tourism scholarships with TAFE Queensland worth $5,000 each as well as events online training and workshops.
Enrolments and scholarship applications will open later this year. For more information visit www.tafeqld.edu.au/VETP
