‘Predatory practice’ still targeting desperate job seekers
The Palaszczuk Government has been accused in State Parliament of failing to shut down a scheme where Queenslanders desperate for a job are instead being funnelled into state-funded training.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been accused of failing to act to shut down a scheme where Queenslanders desperate for a job are instead being funnelled into state-funded training.
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State Opposition spokesman for training Fiona Simpson on Thursday accused the Palaszczuk Government in State Parliament of promising action, but doing nothing to stop what she described as the “predatory practice of some unscrupulous companies that put out direct advertisements that look like they are for jobs, when they are actually about luring them to training..”
Her comments come after a Sunday Mail investigation revealed recruitment companies were using vague job advertisements to funnel jobless people into state funded training they claim was essential to be able to score a job, only to finish the course with no job offer in sight.
The Sunday Mail has spoken to unemployed Queenslanders who say they were left devastated after having believed claims by the job agencies the training was certain to lead to a job.
Some recruitment companies are assuring job applicants that they have jobs but then insist they obtain a Certificate 3 to be eligible to apply.
Ms Simpson today criticised Training Minister Shannon Fentiman over her office’s failure to take action after a businessman highlighted the problems last year and again in January.
As previously revealed, One Stop Training director Jeff Lamb had offered information about the scheme to Ms Fentiman’s office, but was not asked for any further details.
“The State Government knew about this more than a year ago and failed to act,” she said.
“There are many courses the government subsidises with precious training dollars where there are few or no jobs at the other end.
“That is a failure of the way training priorities are set by the state government, but the predatory practice of some unscrupulous companies that put out direct advertisements that look like they are for jobs, when they are really about luring them to training, is even worse.”
She also accused the Government of “shooting the messenger” after a report by Channel 9 containing information critical of Mr Lamb on the day The Sunday Mail story broke.
Ms Simpson said the story named One Stop Training in relation to it having to pay back $57,000 to the Department over an unrelated overpayment following an audit in 2017.
“This was a malicious release of information (by the Department),” she said.
Ms Fentiman responded to the story earlier this month by saying it “would not hesitate to take action against dodgy providers.”
“All complaints received by the Department are taken seriously,” she said.
“In the last 12 months alone we have ended funding agreements with 60 Queensland providers.
Ms Palaszczuk has said she would clamp down on any companies “rorting the system,” but has stopped short of calling an independent inquiry.