Fears over back to work program after no mention in state budget

The Opposition has slammed the LNP for abandoning a TAFE employment program despite not committing to the scheme in its own budget beyond this year.

The Opposition has slammed the LNP for abandoning a TAFE employment program despite not committing to the scheme in its own budget beyond this year.

Labor’s Back to Work Program worth $35m per year included incentive payments for employers to take on employees who had been struggling to enter the workforce, as well as funding for TAFE to administer the initiative by bridging jobseekers with businesses.

But after the state budget was delivered, the technical education provider wrote to Opposition skills and training spokesman Michael Healy saying it would no longer be able to assist employment hunters.

The Back to Work Program was not listed in the LNP’s 2025-26 budget.

Member for Cairns, Michael Healy and deputy opposition leader, Cameron Dick called out a change of funding to the Back to Work Program.

“It is with a heavy heart that we confirm the Back to Work Program ceased for TAFE Queensland jobseekers on 30 June 2025,” the letter read.

Mr Healy took the complaint to his parliamentary counterpart Ros Bates, who responded stating the LNP would provide the program with $20m for one year, but it would now be delivered by her department, despite not being listed in her government’s first budget.

But Ms Bates did not respond to questions about why the program had been reduced by $15m, whether it would continue beyond a year, why it had been awarded to her own department or what it would mean for the 18 TAFE staff across the state who were administering the scheme.

“Labor’s funding for Back to Work expired on June 30, 2025 and the Crisafulli LNP government has stepped in with $20m to save the program,” Ms Bates said.

Employment minister Ros Bates says she saved the Back to Work Program after it was set to cease this year. Picture, John Gass

Former treasurer and deputy Opposition leader Cameron Dick maintained the funding had been cut, but could not explain why the program wasn’t included in Labor’s own forward estimates since the 2021 budget, expiring on June 30 this year.

“Until the government can explain why they’ve cut $15m from this program, and why they’ve reduced the program, it is just a cut that the government will pocket,” Mr Dick said.

“If they were proud of this program and proud of what they were doing, they would have announced it in the budget.

Deputy Opposition leader Cameron Dick says the LNP cut the Back to Work Program by $15m. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

“What you’d find is a Labor government that has always put the employment of Queenslanders first,” the former treasurer said when asked about the funding expiring under his party’s budget.

The two Labor MPs are expected to appear in Rockhampton on Tuesday to continue campaigning for their scheme, which they said had helped an estimated 86,000 Queenslanders get back to work since 2016.

Originally published as Fears over back to work program after no mention in state budget