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QLD
State Department
Industry, Science and Innovation

Department of Trade, Employment and Training

Portfolio: Trade and Employment

https://desbt.qld.gov.au/

Annual Budget

$3.5B

2025-26 Estimated Total Expenses
Total Revenue

$1.8B

2024-25 Total Revenue
Staff

4,500

Headcount (2024-25)
Major Digital Projects
10

VSLConnect Project

Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Tier 1
DCA: Medium
Active

Total Budget

$41.8M

Digital Budget

$33.2M

July 2023December 2025

This project is enabling the Australian Government to better realise the benefits of the VET Student Loans (VSL) program and minimise the risk of occurrences such as the recent historical student debt issue. It will have a stronger focus on compliance and automation, and deliver a system that is flexible, scalable and stable, with a greatly enhanced data collection, integration and analytics capability.

Digital Transformation Program (Strengthening Integrity of the VET sector)

Australian Skills Quality Authority

Tier 2
DCA: Medium-High
Active

Total Budget

$24.8M

Digital Budget

$24.8M

January 2024June 2027

The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) is the national regulator of the VET sector. In February 2024, ASQA commenced a 3.5-year Digital Transformation Program to address issues with its existing ICT systems and data capabilities. The objective of the program is to ensure that ASQA is a modern, best-practice regulator, through the implementation and integration of contemporary systems and applications that will ensure ASQA can efficiently and effectively deliver its regulatory and organisational priorities.

Parent Pathways

Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Tier 2
DCA: Medium
Active

Total Budget

$68.7M

Digital Budget

$36.8M

November 2023June 2026

The project is supporting the implementation of Parent Pathways, a voluntary service that provides personalised assistance and financial support to eligible parents and carers of children up to the age of 6 years. This extended ParentsNext to 31 October 2024 and introduced Parent Pathways from 1 November 2024, which included releasing the IT system on the Workforce Australia Digital Platform and the APS Pilot. As part of the project, enhancements will be made to Parent Pathways.

Enhancements to the Workforce Australia Digital Platform to administer the redesigned foundation skills program

Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$10.9M

Digital Budget

$10.9M

July 2023June 2026

The redesigned Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program will improve the language, literacy, numeracy and digital literacy (LLND) skills for Australians. The program will feature 2 complementary streams of LLND training delivery. Enhancements to the Workforce Australia Digital Platform are required to support the delivery, data reporting and compliance arrangements of the redesigned SEE program.

Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme insourcing

Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$9M

Digital Budget

$9M

July 2023June 2026

The project transferred the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Information System (PALMIS) to the department's infrastructure from July to December 2023. Work is now focused on expanding and enhancement to align PALMIS with the department’s operating model. PALMIS will provide strong oversight and reporting, which will support the government’s plan to Build a Stronger Pacific Family, uphold worker protections, and address unmet labour needs in regional and rural Australia.

Reconnection, Employment and Learning (REAL) Program

Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$60.6M

Digital Budget

$7.7M

June 2024June 2030

This project supports the implementation of the REAL Program that is replacing the Time to Work Employment Service. The REAL Program is a voluntary program that will support First Nations prisoners aged 15 years and over to transition from the justice system into employment and learning.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Digital Uplift

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Tier 1
DCA: Medium
Active

Total Budget

$106.2M

Digital Budget

$106.2M

July 2024June 2028

This program addresses cyber security vulnerabilities across DFAT’s International Communications Network and improves collaboration across government, ensuring DFAT maintains Level 2 of the Cyber Essential Eight Maturity Model.

Go Global Toolkit Expansion (GGT)

Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade)

Tier 2
DCA: Medium-High
Active

Total Budget

$10.9M

Digital Budget

$9M

July 2024June 2026

The GGT is a single, simple and trusted source of practical export support for all Australian business. Enhancement to GGT will improve export readiness of Australian businesses and aim to grow Australian exports through capability uplift. Enhancements include online export support that is personalised and tailored to Australian business interests, capabilities and emerging global market opportunities. Businesses can access tailored market insights, events and news articles based on their sectors and markets of interest. They can also access exclusive exporting webinars and track their progress through the export journey. The GGT supports the government’s trade priorities, including diversification, and also provides information on how to use new free trade agreements. It allows for trade services to be delivered digitally, at scale – a key expectation of modern Australian businesses.

International Communications Network (ICN) Stabilisation Program

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Tier 2
DCA: Medium-High
Active

Total Budget

$90.2M

Digital Budget

$90.2M

July 2023June 2026

This program is stabilising the current ICN by replacing aged core ICT infrastructure components (servers and network switches) along with some uninterruptable power supply (UPS), fibre remediation and replacement of end-of-life Multi-Function Devices. Stabilisation is necessary to ensure critical systems outages are reduced and support the development of new and enhanced ICT capabilities to meet Australia's current and future communication requirements, including delivery of future government foreign policy and trade goals, as detailed in DFAT’s 10-year capability plan.

Foreign Arrangements Scheme (FAS) – Australia’s Foreign Relations Act (AFRA) online portal and website enhancement (known as the AFRA Digital/ICT enhancement program)

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Tier 3
Active

Total Budget

$10.3M

Digital Budget

$10.3M

July 2023June 2027

This project will ensure the ongoing enhancement and maintenance of the FAS online portal and website, including the public register. This project will also ensure the government can meet its legislative responsibilities under the Australia’s Foreign Relations (State and Territory Arrangements) Act 2020, be responsive to stakeholder feedback and implement outcomes from the recent Legislative Review * This total budget reflects the costs associated with delivery of the required digital and ICT capability and does not include costs associated with managing and delivering all regulatory functions of the Foreign Arrangements Scheme. Total program budget 29.8 million.

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