PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JOBSASSIST FUNDING AVAILABLE TO QLD BUSINESSES
Brisbane, 23 November 2009 – Premier Anna Bligh has copped a lot of flack recently, but one rather nice program which she recently initiated – for which she hasn’t received any credit – is the JobsAssist program. The premier is providing targeted regional businesses with up to $8,000 worth of business consulting and professional coaching – provided by Queensland’s leading business consultancies.
Carl Mocnik, the director of Plenty Systems – one of only a handful of business consultancies selected to provide their services under the JobsAssist program – recently commented: “I think the premier should be commended for providing such proactive assistance to Queensland businesses. The program is providing free expert business assistance to companies who might not otherwise have considered procuring outside help – and it’s specifically targeted at regional areas and industries that are particularly feeling the pain of the current economic slowdown. This program allows them to better weather the current economic conditions and to retain employees.”
The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovations (DEEDI) has been allocated the $10M of JobsAssist funding, which is available until July 2010, and has already selected Queensland’s leading consultancies to deliver the services. The funding is provided over two separate stages. Stage 1 consists of a $3,000 grant which enables businesses to procure JobsAssist-accredited business consultants to diagnose the issues impacting the business and to develop an action plan to help the owner create strategies and activities which improve the business model. Stage 2 provides a further $5,000 of funding to engage consultants to advise and assist with implementing the priority tasks identified in stage 1, to develop a process to review the implementation progress, and to plan for further improvements.
Businesses with ten or more fulltime equivalent employees and that operate within any of the following 16 industry classifications are eligible for assistance under the JobsAssist program: Aviation and aerospace, defence, information and communication technology (ICT), advanced manufacturing, marine, biotechnology, therapeutic medicines and devices, environmental and mining technologies and services, processed food, creative industries, tourism, alternative and renewable fuels, wine, aquaculture, fibre composites and liquefied natural gas.
Businesses who have over ten staff and operate in one of the following areas are also eligible for the JobsAssist funding:
Ipswich – Logan
Southern Wide Bay – Burnett
Bundaberg – Hervey Bay
Cairns
Caboolture – Sunshine Coast
Townsville – Thuringowa
Mr. Mocnik advised that: “JobsAssist applications are typically taking about a fortnight to be processed by DEEDI, after which we are free to provide our business consultants – and at no cost to our clients! Also, since many of our clients are now approaching a traditionally slow commercial period, it’s proving a perfect time for business owners to consider strategic planning and business development issues ahead of next year’s inevitable challenges”.
Mr. Mocnik also warned that time is running out: “Since there’s no guarantee that the JobsAssist program will continue beyond this financial year, and the grants are essentially being awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis – at least, until the funding runs out! – I’d encourage all eligible businesses to apply for this grant as early as possible.”
Plenty Systems (www.plentysystems.com.au) is a JobsAssist-accredited consultancy and can be contacted on (07) 3394 8247 or by e-mail at
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.
ENDS
Contact: Carl Mocnik
Email:
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Phone: 07 3394 8247
Fax: 07 3041 6031
Web: www.plentysystems.com.au
Address: 433 Logan Road, Stones Corner QLD 4120
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