Support if you've lost your job

If you've recently lost your job (including through retrenchment, redundancy or corporate administration) there are a range of employment programs and training subsidies that can help you get back on track for new employment.

This information lists a range of Australian Government, Queensland Government and community services that may help you to get support and employment assistance.

Career guidance and support

What's Next

What's Next is a useful starting point for people who have been, or may be, retrenched or made redundant. It provides a range of resources and links to available support.

Your Career

Your Career helps you explore different careers and occupations and provides pathways, resources, and support to get you there.

Occupation and industry profiles

Visit the Jobs and Skills Australia website to learn more about industry profiles, future jobs growth and likely wages. You can explore labour market data at national, state and regional levels.

Start a small business

Maybe this is the time to turn your idea into a small business and work for yourself.

Our business readiness health check is a comprehensive way to consider the opportunities and challenges of starting a small business. Read about the key elements of starting a business, including legal and regulatory requirements, resources, business location and start-up costs.

Retrain or upskill

Subsidised training and skilling programs

You may be eligible for Queensland Government subsidised training and skilling programs to gain skills that may help you to find work:

• Free TAFE—free vocational education and training (VET) qualifications in various high-demand industries.
• Certificate 3 Guarantee—subsidised training to help Queenslanders complete their first post-school certificate 3 level qualification to help get employment or improve employment status.
• Higher Level Skills—subsidised training to help Queenslanders complete higher-level qualifications (certificate 4 and above) to help secure employment or career advancement.
• Skilling Queenslanders for Work—community-based projects and support to assist job seekers to gain skills, qualifications and experience needed to re-enter the workforce or switch career paths.
• Back to Work—contact a support officer to find out about opportunities for job seekers and those at risk of unemployment to upskill and retrain for jobs across regional Queensland and selected South East Queensland locations.

Apprenticeships and traineeships

Apprenticeships and traineeships allow you to earn while you learn by combining work and study in a vocation or trade. Learn more about apprenticeships and traineeships.

Apprenticeships Info supports apprentices, trainees and their employers throughout their apprenticeship or traineeship. If you are an apprentice or trainee who has been displaced or lost your job, phone 1800 210 210 for support and information on how to continue employment and training.

Recognition of prior learning

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) transfers your skills and knowledge gained through work and life experiences to current training course requirements, allowing you to reduce the time it takes to gain a qualification.

Financial assistance and income support

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for financial assistance through Centrelink. Visit the Services Australia website or phone 13 28 50.

Centrelink's free financial information service (FIS) provides unbiased information about how to make informed decisions about your finances, which may be beneficial if you've received a redundancy package.

Fair Entitlements Guarantee

If you lost your job because your employer went bankrupt or into liquidation and you are owed certain employee entitlements, you may be eligible for financial help through the Fair Entitlements Guarantee.

Job search

View our information on a range of topics including career advice, finding and applying for jobs, and returning to work.

Workforce Australia

Workforce Australia helps you to start looking for work, find jobs, transition to different industries, or find training, support services and other opportunities to build experience in skills like job application writing, interviews and job searching.

Disability employment service

Job Access offers specialised support to people with disability to access assistance to prepare for, find and keep a job.

Labour hire

Labour hire companies provide temporary staff to employers across a range of industries.

Visit Labour Hire Licensing Queensland to find out more about labour hire companies and register for temporary work.

Your rights and entitlements

Fair Work Ombudsman

The Fair Work Ombudsman can provide advice about eligibility for redundancy and other payments as determined by legislation.

The National Employment Standards (NES) set out the minimum employments standards for all employees.

The NES also includes what redundancy is and what pay may apply on employment termination.

If you think you have not received the right amount of redundancy pay, or your dismissal isn't a genuine redundancy, seek advice from the Ombudsman.

Fair Work Commission

If you lose your job but believe you have been unfairly dismissed by your employer, contact the Fair Work Commission, Australia's national workplace relations tribunal.

Mental health and wellbeing

Look after yourself during stressful times.

Lifeline provides a 24-hour confidential telephone counselling service on 13 11 14. You can also use the Lifeline Service Finder to locate free of low cost health and community services.

Beyond Blue provides immediate support for depression and anxiety by phone on 1300 224 636, or online chat.