{"id":207118,"date":"2025-10-12T05:26:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T05:26:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/207118\/"},"modified":"2025-10-12T05:26:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-12T05:26:13","slug":"government-grants-aim-to-ease-queensland-women-back-into-workforce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/207118\/","title":{"rendered":"Government grants aim to ease Queensland women back into workforce"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 4,000 Queensland women will be able to access one-off careers grants to help get back into the workforce.<\/p>\n

The $20-million Women\u2019s Career Grants program will deliver on an election promise made by the LNP in the lead up to the 2024 state election.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Targeted at women aged over 18 who have been out of the workforce for more than six months, eligible candidates will be able to access up to $5,000 to help cover the cost of childcare, job readiness, technology and workwear.<\/p>\n

Working after maternity leave<\/a><\/p>\n

Returning to work is a constant sensation of being compressed by all the expectations and newness<\/p>\n

Premier David Crisafulli said the grants aimed to remove barriers that stand between women ready to return to work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the difference between somebody being able to rejoin [the workforce] or not\u2026 all we are focusing on is how we can remove the obstacles that exist,\u201d Mr Crisafulli said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that it is a really small investment in the productivity for this state, and the sense of self-worth that comes with a job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"David<\/p>\n

Mr Crisafulli says he is “genuinely delighted” to fulfil the election promise made in 2024 to roll out the $20-million program. (ABC News)<\/p>\n

Expressions of interest open today, ahead of the programs official launch on November 3.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mr Crisafulli said the intention was the first eligible recipients would be paid their grant before the years end.<\/p>\n

Overcoming barriers at different life stages<\/p>\n

The government estimates a minimum of 4,000 women will be helped by the program, with flexible grant amounts available.<\/p>\n

Minister for Women and Women\u2019s Economic Security Fiona Simpson said it aimed to benefit women who were out of work for a range of reasons.<\/p>\n

“A lot of women, at various times in life, have breaks from work. Caring for children\u2026 caring for elderly\u2026 that caring role means women are more economically vulnerable than men are,” Ms Simpson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have tailored this program as a result of feedback from women\u2026 to have the dignity of opportunity.”<\/p>\n

\"Woman<\/p>\n

Ms Simpson says program has been tailored by feedback from women about what barriers exist between them and returning to the workforce. (ABC News)<\/p>\n

Touted as a first-of-its-kind for the sunshine state, the government has partnered with professional development organisation Future Women to administer the grants.<\/p>\n

In tandem, the government would also fund an expansion of the jobs academy it runs with the organisation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How helping women into the workforce is worth millions to the economy<\/a><\/p>\n

A report finds one charity helping women into the workforce has generated $86 million in net direct economic benefits over the past 20 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Founder Helen McCabe said it was an exciting move that could help \u201ctap into a dormant workforce\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a skills shortage\u2026 today\u2019s announcement is an extension of a program that began by looking at 500 women, we\u2019re about to do another 500 Queensland women,\u201d Ms McCabe said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll be able to access our pre employment program\u2026 with all the things women desperately need, like advice on how to produce a resume and cover letter.”<\/p>\n

Move welcomed by mums\"Woman<\/p>\n

Evie Massey has spent 16 years out of the workforce and hopes to be one of the first recipients of the grant. (ABC News: Emma Johnson)<\/p>\n

Although the program will stretch across a broad section of Queensland women who have taken time off, mums have backed the news.<\/p>\n

Jen Fleming said the program would deliver confidence for those who were ready to take the step to rejoining the workforce.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you become a mum, everything changes, your body changes, your priorities change,\u201d Ms Fleming said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen those mums are ready to go back to work, they haven\u2019t been writing resumes, they\u2019ve been reading books. They haven\u2019t been out on laptops, they\u2019ve been packing lunch boxes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is groundbreaking\u2026 women need support to have the confidence to return to work when they\u2019re ready.”<\/p>\n

One such mum is Evie Massey, who has been out of the workforce for 16 years while raising children but has hopes of one day returning to her career as a makeup artist.<\/p>\n

With plenty of ideas for how to spend the grant, she hoped to be one of the first to receive the support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe need for childcare as a mum is quite necessary\u2026 but also [the money would] help me sharpen my resume, my presentation\u2026 also to get all the tools that are necessary,\u201d Ms Massey said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"More than 4,000 Queensland women will be able to access one-off careers grants to help get back into…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":207119,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,3326,22424,49865,128151,128152,128154,23622,128153,44853,46358,44,1479,3324,27281,12632],"class_list":["post-207118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-career","tag-carer","tag-david-crisafulli","tag-election-commitment","tag-fiona-simpson","tag-future-women","tag-grant","tag-minister-for-women","tag-mother","tag-mum","tag-news","tag-parents","tag-productivity","tag-return-to-work","tag-women"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207118\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}