(Photo: Nanango Electorate Office)
March 14, 2019
Red tape is hampering Yarraman butcher Bradley Frohloff’s ability to put on an apprentice
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington met with Mr Frohloff recently regarding the State Government’s decision to stop Toowoomba-based businesses from accessing the Back to Work program.
“Mr Frohloff had hoped to employ a new young fellow to start as an apprentice at his butcher shop in Yarraman, but because he is based in the Toowoomba Regional Council area, he is not eligible to apply for assistance through the Back to Work program,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“Last year Annastacia Palaszczuk decided Toowoomba businesses shouldn’t be entitled to the program which is supposed to assist regional job seekers and employers.
“The Back to Work program was initially intended for regional jobseekers, but the LNP successfully campaigned for it to be extended to south-east Queensland in 2017.
“However, in late 2018, Toowoomba was unfairly removed from the eligibility list.
“This leaves businesses such as Frohlies Meats in Yarraman unable to access the Back to Work program, even though they are in a regional town, and businesses on either side of them in Blackbutt and Nanango can access this funding support.
“It means Mr Frohloff may not be able to put on this great young man who is keen to work and learn a trade, and Mr Frohloff will not have the help of another staff member.
“It is completely unfair, unacceptable and it is obvious this decision has been made by a city-centric Labor Government who have no idea about regional Queensland.”
Frohlies Meats owner Bradley Frohloff said he had thought long and hard about employing an apprentice and the Back to Work program incentives were important to the decision.
“We decided to go ahead and put on the young bloke based on the help we could receive through Back to Work,” Mr Frohloff said.
“We only re-opened and renovated the business early this year, so any support we thought we could get to kick-start our business would have helped.
“But because we are in Yarraman, which is in the Toowoomba regional area, we can’t receive that support.
“There’s just no common sense in this decision.”
I thought the Labor candidate for Flynn’s shirt at the Proston Show said ‘Labor Supports Local Jobs’? Clearly not it seems.
Employer Support Payments are available to eligible employers who meet all the program eligibility criteria.
The program is not a wage subsidy. The decision to employ someone is at the discretion of the employer and must be a business decision that is independent of the availability of the Back to Work support payment.
https://backtowork.initiatives.qld.gov.au/for-employers/employer-support-payment/
https://backtowork.initiatives.qld.gov.au/
Ross, the back to work program is not up the the employer, it is based on areas. Yarraman is not eligible as it is in the Toowoomba Regional Council area. The point is regional areas need as much help as possible to employ people, but the Palaszczuk Government has chosen not to support this region. As Opposition. we have raised this an an issue many times we now have a perfect example of how this program does not work.
Some info that appears to be missed by the business applying for public funds through Qld Labor initiatives FOR Businesses in the Regions, perhaps this might clear the claims moving forward…
https://www.busyatwork.com.au/backtowork/south-east-queensland-employer-support-payments/
NOTE….Toowoomba IS listed
Department of Employment, Small Business and Training https://desbt.qld.gov.au/training/employers/funding