Tasmania’s 36,000 small businesses are the backbone of our economy, currently employing around 100,000 Tasmanians.
Over the last three years, the number of small businesses in Tasmania has grown, their confidence has grown and now they are growing in size.
The Hodgman Government’s number one priority is jobs and we want to help Tasmanian businesses to grow and employ more Tasmanians.
Our 2017-18 budget includes a pilot program that will reduce the cost and risk to small businesses of employing an apprentice or trainee through grants of up to $4000 per position, assisting up to 500 Tasmanians get their first job in a small business.
This announcement, together with Australian Government subsidies and the practical assistance available to first-time employers through Skills Tasmania’s Supporting Small Business with Apprenticeships and Traineeships Program, means there has never been a better time for Tasmanian small businesses to employ.
The Government has listened to small business. It has heard the stories about expansion and seen business owners and training organisations in the same room finding solutions for problems that stand in their way.
From Business Tasmania to Digital Ready for Business, the Hodgman Liberal Government has a suite of assistance programs to help businesses reach their full potential. It’s time to seize the opportunity to make a real investment in the future of Tasmania.
By Roger Jaensch, Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business, Trade, and Red Tape Reduction
Tasmanian Business Reporter 
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