Department of Employment, Small Business and Training

Queensland Budget 2024-25 · Miles Government

Minister
Lance McCallum MP
Department head
Director-General Peter McKay

As at budget day (2024-06-11)

$1.567B
Total expenses
$80.4M
Capital program
$168M
4 tracked measures
624
FTE staff

Key service areas

Connecting and supporting Queenslanders with employment programs and servicesConnecting Queensland small businesses to grants and support programsConnecting Queenslanders to training and skills programs and initiatives

Budget initiatives

Queensland Skills Strategy 2024-2028$96.7MNewAnnounced

Additional investment to strengthen the training system and deliver skills for the economy under the Good Jobs, Great Training strategy, supporting delivery of the National Skills Agreement.

More training places and skills support help Queenslanders upskill and retrain for in-demand jobs as the economy changes, as part of the biggest skills reform in almost a decade with one million training places funded.

2024-25: $96.7M2025-26: $106.4M

General Government operating, $203.1M over 2 years as part of a total $370M investment

Free TAFE Nursing$42.1MNewAnnounced

Funding for 6,500 training places for eligible Queenslanders to study the Diploma of Nursing for free in 2024 and 2025.

6,500 Queenslanders can study the Diploma of Nursing for free in 2024 and 2025, removing the cost barrier to a healthcare career and helping address nursing workforce shortages.

2023-24: $22.1M2024-25: $42.1M2025-26: $17.1M

General Government operating, $81.2M over 3 years from 2023-24. Total Diploma of Nursing funding is $162.6M including internal and Queensland Health contributions.

TAFE Big Build$24.5MContinuingAnnounced

Funding to continue maintaining state-owned TAFE Queensland facilities.

Ongoing maintenance keeps TAFE Queensland campuses in good condition so students have modern, safe facilities to learn trades and skills.

2024-25: $24.5M2025-26: $25.1M2026-27: $25.7M2027-28: $26.4M

General Government operating, $101.7M over 4 years plus $26.4M per annum ongoing

Queensland Small Business Strategy 2024-27$4.3MNewAnnounced

Funding to help small businesses manage the cost of doing business and build capability, capacity and resilience, part of a total investment of over $250 million over 3 years.

Small businesses receive support to manage rising costs and build resilience, with grants and programs under a strategy aimed at supporting local jobs and a strong economy across Queensland.

2024-25: $4.3M2025-26: $2.8M2026-27: $0.8M

General Government operating, $7.8M over 3 years (this measure). Part of a total Small Business Strategy investment of over $250M over 3 years.

Forward estimates

Year-by-year allocations for 4 measures with published forward profiles.

Measure2023-242024-252025-262026-272027-28Total
Queensland Skills Strategy 2024-2028$96.7M$106.4M$203.1M
Free TAFE Nursing$22.1M$42.1M$17.1M$81.2M
TAFE Big Build$24.5M$25.1M$25.7M$26.4M$101.7M
Queensland Small Business Strategy 2024-27$4.3M$2.8M$0.8M$7.8M
Total$22.1M$167.5M$151.3M$26.5M$26.4M$393.8M

Performance metrics

Service standards from the Service Delivery Statement. Targets and actuals as published.

MetricPrior targetActualTarget
2024-252024-252025-26
Overall customer satisfaction with employment programs90%97.9%90%
Proportion of vocational and education training (VET) graduates in employment or further study87%83.2%87%
Proportion of graduates satisfied with the overall quality of their training89%89.2%89%
Number of completions — Apprenticeships11,50010,00011,500
Average cost per competency successfully completed$690$936$730

Source: Service Delivery Statement. Prior target and actual are for 2024-25; target is for 2025-26.

Source document

Service Delivery Statement — Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (PDF)

Last updated: 2026-06-20. Factual information from published budget documents.