• Wounded Heroes Australia will deliver the ‘Food4Heroes’ project with $820,400
through Skilling Queenslanders for Work, the biggest single funding injection in the
metropolitan region.
• Project will employ up to 30 job seekers, primarily ex-Australian Defence Force
members and their families to complete a Certificate I in Hospitality.
• 520 vulnerable job seekers in the Ipswich region will benefit from over $5.4 million in
coal royalty funding for 15 projects in priority areas.
The Miles Labor Government is putting cost of living relief for Ipswich’s veterans front and
centre by funding a new project that will provide paid employment and sponsored skills
opportunities while helping give back to those who have served their country.
Through an $820,400 injection in the latest State Budget, Wounded Heroes Australia will
deliver their ‘Food4Heroes’ project through Skilling Queenslanders for Work.
The project will provide 30 participants with 20 weeks paid employment in a program that will
address barriers to finding a job and keeping a job, and to support them with work readiness
skills so that upon completion they can gain long term sustainable employment outcomes.
The social enterprise project operates from the Ipswich Events & Entertainment Centre
commercial kitchen, preparing free meals for veterans in financial crisis or homelessness
and offering low-cost meals to the local community to raise funds for their crisis support arm.
The job seekers, primarily ex-Australian Defence Force members and their families will:
• earn a certificate I level qualification hospitality,
• gain practical experience in real work situations that align with their training,
• be supported to build confidence and general life skills,
• complete paid work that can be included in their resumes, and
• receive a mix of career advice, job preparation skills and foundation skills.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Training and Skills Development and Member for
Bundamba Lance McCallum:
"Under national cost of living pressures, we’re doing what matters for Ipswich, so the
importance of this initiative cannot be overstated.
“This Food4Heroes project will not only provide essential support to help individuals to
secure stable employment and improve their livelihoods, but it offers a beacon of hope and
opportunity to the whole veteran community.
“Locals will never forget that Skilling Queenslanders for Work was brutally cut by the LNP
and now by opposing our progressive coal royalties it’s up on the LNP chopping block again.
"Through this project Wounded Heroes Australia is not just delivering on the promise of this
initiative, they are transforming lives and strengthening our proud garrison city.
“This funding will enable them to extend their reach, helping more veterans and their families
find jobs and build better futures.
Quotes attributable to Wounded Heroes Australia CEO Kim Shaw:
“Wounded Heroes provides a safe workplace for disadvantaged job seekers to build on their
work readiness skills, including coming to work on time, communication in the workplace,
along with building on their skillsets and completing a Certificate I in Hospitality.
“As a part of this project, participants will learn how to cook nutritious meals that will be
provided for FREE to veterans in financial crisis, homeless or at risk of homelessness, or at
a low cost to the local community that are struggling with the rise in cost of living.
“We love watching the participants grow both personally and professionally in their journey
towards an employment outcome.
“For some participants this initiative provides them with increased self-confidence and selfesteem and creating a social network of like-minded people that will share in their journey of
self-discovery. Self-belief changes their outlook on both how they feel about themselves and
how they view employment.
“Wounded Heroes supports both the veteran and local community and initiatives such as
Skilling Queenslanders for Work provides a platform where participants can make a
difference not just for themselves but the broader community.”
Quotes attributable to Prestige Staffing Solutions’ Karen Doyle:
“We have had participants that have been in a really dark place – they feel they're worthless,
they're on the verge of homelessness and that no one will ever give them a job – to be able
to work with them to build their confidence and give them workplace skills is amazing.
“This program is so important to putting people back into employment – assisting people,
getting employed, building a better life for themselves, also helping community.
“For the participants it means more than words can explain – we've put several participants
through one of these programs over the past two years – it's wonderful to watch their growth,
to watch their confidence build.”
Further Skilling Queenslanders for Work information:
In the first round of SQW for 2024-25, $44.6 million will support 94 organisations to deliver
166 projects statewide, upskilling participants in priority industries and igniting pathways to
prosperity.
The Ipswich region will benefit from over $5.4 million in funding for 15 projects with 11
community organisations under the latest SQW round, training more than 520 job seekers in
areas such as construction, hospitality, and transport and distribution, including:
• yourtown's Community Work Skills ‘JBS Food Australia’ in Riverview – assisting up to
100 individuals aged 15-24 in Brisbane’s Metro and South regions to complete accredited
Hospitality training while gaining skills and experience for sustainable employment with
partnering food manufacturer JBS Foods Australia or other employers in the food
manufacturing industry.
• Karingal St Laurence Limited’s Get Set for Work ‘MatchWorks Get Set for Work’ project
in Ipswich – assisting up to 50 neurodivergent young people in gaining skills and experience
to prepare for employment and supporting them in completing a Certificate II in Skills for Work
and Vocational Pathways.
• Five Bridges’ Community Work Skills ‘Pathway to Driving - Brisbane Metropolitan’
project across multiple areas in the Ipswich region – assisting up to 64 licensed drivers in
gaining skills and experience for sustainable employment in the transport and distribution
industry, while completing a Certificate III in Driving Operations and a Certificate II in Skills for
Work and Vocational Pathways.
• Challenge Employment and Training Limited’s Work Skills Traineeships Re-Greening
Ipswich' project in Collingwood Park - employing up to 30 job seekers to complete a
Certificate I in Conservation and Ecosystem Management while engaging in flood repair work,
flood mitigation strategies, weed clearing, and upgrades to an Eco Hub outdoor learning
space across the Redbank Plains, Collingwood Park, and Riverview areas.
The initiative supports the Good Jobs, Great Training: Queensland Skills Strategy 2024 –
2028 which outlines the Queensland Government’s plan to provide an accessible training
system and ensure our state has the skilled workers it needs now and into the future.
Please click the following link for a list of the successful SQW projects:
https://desbt.qld.gov.au/training/community-orgs/sqw/funded-projects
Visit www.qld.gov.au/skillingqueenslanders or call 1300 369 935 for further details.
