Hostec International, one of Australia's leading vocational education providers, has been approved to provide government-funded training all new entrant workers in Queensland. This approval comes under the new User Choice program, which provides public funding for the delivery of accredited, entry-level training to apprentices and trainees.

Hostec's inclusion on the list means they can now provide training to existing and new entrant employees in hospitality, retail and business packages for the first time in their 13-year history. The funding will be available immediately and remains available until 2015.

Ian Wilson, co-founder and CEO of Hostec International, says the announcement is timely. "Through our own market research, we have noticed a trend developing with the amount of new entrant trainees compared with existing workers. Up until now we have only been able to service the smaller, existing worker market. Now that has all changed." In 2009, 57,000 trainees and apprentices commenced some form of nationally recognised training in Queensland. Of these, 67% were new entrants.

The User Choice funding compliments the Productivity Placement Program (PPP) funding Hostec was previously granted for training existing workers in a range of programs including TAA and Diploma of Business Frontline Management. Hostec have been working closely with Queensland employers to help them maximise the commercial value of this funding while ensuring learning outcomes are achieved for employees.