Training business able to continue supporting regional workers with COVID-19 Jobs Support Loan
Thousands of regional Queensland jobs seekers and workers will continue to be supported in re-training and up-skilling as Townsville business Advanced Industry Training can maintain their commitment to staff.
AIT Training Peter Burroughs
Business owners Schae and Lucy O’Dell are responsible for the re-training and up-skilling of thousands of job seekers and workers every year in essential skills like forklift, elevated work platform, heavy machinery, dangerous goods and white card induction training.
The business is vital in helping regional Queenslanders find new jobs or maintain their employability in roles they already work in.
A COVID-19 Jobs Support Loan meant Schae and Lucy could continue paying their five staff, support other Townsville businesses and pay carry-on expenses to ensure the business would continue training during COVID-19 and into the future.
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.
Lucy said the COVID-19 Jobs Support Loan allowed her the peace of mind the business would be able to maintain their commitment to the regional workforce both during and after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
“The business is giving people employability skills, to help people into jobs and gives them the skills to be employable. Forklift courses are very popular in Townsville as there is an increase in jobs requiring a forklift licence,” she said.
“We make sure people can get the best possible outcome and the training will help them into jobs they can use it for.
“If we didn’t get the loan our doors would have closed in early May. It’s meant we can maintain our payroll, make super payments and pay normal bills like rent.
“We have been able to change the way we deliver our business so we can help more people.
“The loan also means we can support other small business that are local to Townsville and who we rely on.
“It also means the people we support will have some long term security. It has really helped us in being able to pay our staff and pay our bills.”
Lucy said there were nine qualifications and more than 300 individual units of training on offer, helping people into all kinds of work opportunities.
“The business has been around since 1985 and it has a very good reputation which we built on when we took over five years ago,” she said.
“Not only are our trainers qualified in the field but they but they also have a long history of working in the industry they are training in. Part of the delivery is they have real world application of what people are learning.
“Our ethos is we don’t pass anyone out until they can safely operate the machinery. We make sure they have the practical training they need so they can confidently operate machinery safely before we let them out the front door.”
Advanced Industry Training’s Registered Training Organisation number is RTO5363.
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.
