Enhancing workforce participation and diversity for SMEs

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Enhancing workforce participation and diversity for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) supports employers to rethink their employment practices and grow a more diverse workforce through the provision of best practice strategies to improve productivity and address labour and skills shortages.

This phased research project is a collaboration with key partners to provide advice for industry and businesses on best practice strategies to develop an inclusive and diverse workforce across Queensland.

It includes an impact analysis to investigate cohorts not participating in the workforce and the reasons they are not participating. Current Australian and International research will be analysed to identify key and common elements of strategies that support SMEs to employ underutilised cohorts.

The action-based research will provide SMEs and industry with strategies to develop inclusive and diverse workforces to support Queensland’s economic recovery, improve productivity and address labour and skills shortages.