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CheckUP Connect eNews | September 2026
Workforce and Industry Development
Hi there,
Welcome to the September edition of CheckUP Connect.
As we move into spring, it's exciting to reflect on the breadth of work taking place across our industry and workforce development programs. This month highlights the power of collaboration, innovation and community engagement in strengthening the health and social assistance workforce across Queensland. From sharing insights at the Developing Northern Australia Conference to supporting First Nations students through healthcare immersion experiences, we continue to focus on creating pathways that build a sustainable and capable workforce for the future.
We are also pleased to share updates on several key initiatives, including OneNQ, and the NDIS Your Way, Our Way project. Alongside these initiatives, you'll find information about upcoming events, training opportunities and sector updates designed to support providers, employers and communities to navigate change and seize new opportunities
We hope this edition provides valuable insights, practical resources and opportunities to connect with others working towards a stronger future workforce.
Vicky Meyer
General Manager, Workforce, CheckUP
CheckUP's Workforce and Industry Programs are proudly supported and funded by the Queensland Government.
What has the team been up to
What does it take to build a strong future for Northern Australia?
Carissa, First Nations Industry Workforce Advisor – Health and Social Assistance and CheckUP General Manager Workforce Vicky presented at the Developing Northern Australia Conference (DNAC) Mparntwe (Alice Springs).
Read the reflections from stepping outside the day-to-day and seeing workforce planning within the bigger picture of Northern Australia.
First Nations students participate in healthcare immersion tour
Read about how First Nations students from Heatley Secondary College participated in a six-day healthcare immersion tour designed to provide valuable exposure to regional and rural healthcare services, remote communities, and culturally informed on-Country learning experiences.
Annual Whitsundays Business Conference
Stuart Coward, Community Services Industry Workforce Advisor, shared his expertise on workforce solutions for local businesses at this year’s Annual Whitsundays Business Conference in Airlie Beach. The event drew record business attendance and provided a strong opportunity to discuss local workforce challenges, service gaps, and practical responses with regional stakeholders.
NDIS Your Way, Our Way - Share your feedback
Through statewide engagement, research and collaboration NDIS Your Way, Our Way aims to identify practical actions that strengthen provider capability, improve access to culturally safe support, and increase opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to exercise choice and control within the NDIS.
Learn more, complete the statewide survey to share your experiences and ideas, and join us at a gathering, drop-in, or online forum to continue the conversation.
Join us at a CheckUP event
Workshops in Cairns to support your NDIS Business
Support your organisation to prepare for NDIS registration and ensure you have strong compliance systems. NDIS Business Connect in partnership with Assistance Industry Resouring (AIR) have events happening during September.
Understand the key parts of the registration process and gain practical tools you can use when applying.
Date: Tuesday, 15 September
Time: 9:00am - 11.00am OR 4.30pm - 6.30pm
Designed to help providers compare their complaint system to registration requirements and find opportunities to do better.
Date: Wednesday, 16 September
Time: 9:00am - 12.00pm
Unable to attend these Cairns events, keep an eye on the NDIS CheckUP Connect website for further locations and dates. The AIR six-title NDIS Registration Readiness Series is also available online to complete-at-your-own-pace at until October 31st.
Unpacking SCHADS webinar
The Hidden Financial Risk in Rostering: SCHADS, Compliance and Margin Leakage in NDIS.
This session will unpack the hidden costs within workforce planning, from minimum engagements and penalties to travel time and inefficient rostering and explore how providers can improve margins without compromising compliance.
Date: Thursday, 24 September
Time: 12:00pm -1:00pm AEST
You might be interested in other NDIS Business Connect events. This September in our monthly discussion it is all about NDIS Reforms.
Join us at the 2026 Health Gateway Forum
The Forum will bring together schools and industry from across Queensland for a day of connection, collaboration and professional learning. It’s a great opportunity for schools to hear directly from industry, explore career pathways, and for industry to strengthen partnerships that support Queensland’s future health workforce.
Date: Wednesday, 21 October 2026
OneNQ | Shaping health care. Supporting a healthy workforce
OneNQ is an exciting new project in partnership with Northern Queensland PHN and Health Workforce Queensland to build and strengthen the mental health, alcohol and other drugs, and suicide prevention workforce. This initiative responds to ongoing challenges in attracting and retaining clinicians and practitioners in rural and remote areas.
Please share these September Cooktown events with your North Queensland network.
- Loss and Grief Workshop – Cooktown
- Wednesday 16 September
- Self-Care and Mental Wellbeing Level 1 Workshop – Cooktown
- Wednesday 16 September
- Suicide Intervention Training – Cooktown
- Thursday 17 September
News
Annual plan to deliver skills for Queensland
Delivering on the Queensland Government's Right Skills Strategy, the Training Priorities Plan 2026–2027 maps out how skills investment of more than $1.6 billion will support Queenslanders at every stage of their career and meet the state's workforce needs. Working with industry, training providers, and communities, the training priorities plan will deliver skills for Queensland and careers for Queenslanders.
Securing the NDIS for Future Generations
This means changes are coming to the NDIS to secure it for the long term. These include who can access the NDIS, how plans are managed, how funding is used and how providers operate.
Keep up to date on what is happening with these Reforms.
Evaluating training in aged care, disability, leisure and health
HumanAbility is evaluating and updating 6 qualifications to enhance their relevance and assist the sector’s capacity to meet growing demand and evolving challenges.
They have drafted revised qualifications available for you to review until 19 October 2026.
To review the documents sign up for project updates.
Disability Service Sector Grants announced
TAFE Centre of Excellence Health Care and Support successful Disability Service Sector Grants announced. In total, five applicants were awarded more than $1.6 million collectively, with the applied research projects to be completed within 12 months.
New FREE mental health online and telehealth support
Take care of your mental health with free online and telehealth support. If you’re feeling down, worried, stressed, or overwhelmed, Medicare Mental Health Check In offers free support to guide you through life’s challenges, no referral or diagnosis is needed. This is a new online service offering free and confidential support to help you manage mild mental health challenges.
Resources
Measuring Employer Investment in Learning
As technology, demographic change and shifts in the economy reshape Australia’s labour market, employer-supported learning is becoming increasingly important.
Measuring Employer Investment in Learning outlines the important role employers play in supporting lifelong learning and workforce capability and identifies opportunities to strengthen the evidence base on employer investment in learning.
Upgraded NCVER DataBuilder
Informed by user feedback, the upgraded NCVER DataBuilder makes it faster and easier to access, analyse and share vocational education and training (VET) data. New features include improved search and sorting, the ability to save and share customised views, and easier ways to work with data.
Using Business Assist to connect small businesses with support
The Queensland Government Business Assist connects small and family business owners with the right information on programs and services to support their unique situation. Speak to the local representative servicing your region—they are ready to assist.
Spotlight on Grants
Local Skills Solutions
Local Skills Solutions is a program designed to assist industry and community-focused organisations to identify localised workforce challenges and develop and deliver projects that provide direct training pathways towards secure and meaningful employment.
Indigenous Workforce and Skills Development Grant (IWSDG) program
The Indigenous Workforce and Skills Development Grant (IWSDG) program funds training and employment pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It will include a wage subsidy for traineeship, apprenticeship and graduate employment positions as well as funding for place-based projects.
Connect and help share resources and knowledge.
Share this newsletter with your colleagues and network in Queensland! We want to support more Queenslanders in growing their business.
CheckUP acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where we work and live. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.
