Businesses seeking skilled staff will benefit from a new free short course developed by the University of the Sunshine Coast in partnership with the Queensland Government.

The Workforce Planning Course micro-credential will help guide Queensland business owners improve their workforce retention and productivity, and identify future skills needs in order to plan for the future.

The micro-credential comes on the back of UniSC’s Business Planning Course, which had supported 370 business owners since its inception in 2020.

UniSC Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Helen Bartlett said more than 80 business owners had already signed up for 2023.

“We developed the Business Planning Course in collaboration with industry when COVID hit to help guide businesses through particularly tough times, and it remains relevant today,” Professor Bartlett said.

“It has been increasingly popular each year, so I’m sure there will be strong interest in the new Workforce Planning Course, as businesses aim to attract the workforce they need for success.”

Professor Bartlett said micro-credentials appealed to business owners with busy schedules seeking information they could implement quickly.

“The advantage of these free micro-credentials is that they are value-packed into a short timeframe, and those who choose to undertake the assignments will receive one course credit toward a postgraduate qualification,” she said.

Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer announced the Workforce Planning Course on Friday, with aims to start signing up participants by April.

“The Queensland Government has recognised the value of this training, and we want to thank them for the funding that allows us to not only continue, but to expand to areas like Townsville and support more businesses in our regions,” Professor Bartlett said.

Sara Hennessy, Sunshine Coast business owner and manager at Lume Electrical plans to complete the Workforce Planning Course, after gaining great value from the Business Planning Course.

“I came away with a roadmap to build a business that will be sustainable and the steps we need to take to get where we want to be in five years,” Mrs Hennessy said.

“We have plans to not only expand, but to make sure we find the right people to support that expansion, particularly as my husband who started the company becomes less available to work onsite.

“At first I didn’t know what to expect from a university course, because it seemed a bit daunting but, having done the course, I would definitely recommend it to other local businesses,” she said.

The Workforce Planning Course will use Jobs Queensland’s great Workforce Planning Connect resources and take advantage of the expertise and experience of UniSC staff.

To find out more about the University of the Sunshine Coast’s School of Business and Creative Industries short courses including the Business Planning Course and Workforce Planning Course, visit this link.