Young apprentices hard at work with COVID-19 Jobs Support Loan

The group training organisation has been vital asset to the Ipswich community for 34 years and at any given time up to 300 young apprentices are supported in gaining job-ready construction, automotive and engineering skills and in employment with south east Queensland trade businesses. 

General manager Paul Hillberg said COVID-19 impacts put significant pressure on the not-for-profit organisation as regional industries cut back but a COVID-19 Jobs Support Loan allowed apprentices to stay on-track with their education and supported 20 staff.  

The loan scheme administered by the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA), provides finance of up to $250,000 for businesses and non-profit organisations impacted by COVID-19 to assist with carry-on expenses such as employee wages, rent and rates and other expenditure. 

“It was important to keep our apprentices moving and going. We didn’t want to let them go as we are established as a community organisation to look after them,” Mr Hillberg said.  

“Being not-for-profit, we still needed to pay wages and employees so for us the loan meant we could do that. It enabled them to keep working.” 

Mr Hillberg said the organisation operated on multiple fronts. One was job ready, in which school students were given skills to enter the workforce; another supplied local business with apprentices.  

He said the COVID-19 Jobs Support Loan helped keep the programs running.  

“We support apprentices and also the local industry in south east Queensland because we make sure the apprentice can come back to us and go onto another host organisation,” he said.  

“We buy run down houses and renovate them so instead of putting apprentices on stand-down, which would lengthen the completion time of their apprenticeship, we were able to keep training them and keep them working.  

“That helps to support their mental health because if they are working and not at home in isolation, it means they can keep maintaining their skills. Most importantly from a young person’s point of view, it also helps maintain a routine. It’s hard enough getting up at 5am every day.  

“The loan has meant we can continue to support their mental health as well as their training and skills so it has been a massive help to us. We have been able to look after them; not only the young people but our internal employees.  

“It gave us more confidence to get through the problem we have.” 

Existing COVID-19 Jobs Support Loan clients can find important information about the ongoing management of their loans on the COVID-19 Jobs Support Loan page.

QRIDA is delivering the $1 billion COVID-19 Jobs Support Loan Scheme on behalf of the Queensland Government.