The Hodgman Government is Building Your Future by helping small business create more jobs.
Our target is to increase the number of Tasmanians employed by small business by ten per cent by 2022. Given that there are currently around 36,000 small businesses in Tasmania employing approximately 100,000 people, that would result in the creation of around 10,000 new jobs.
This is an ambitious target, but we think it’s worth aiming for. A recent survey of 800 small businesses in Tasmania found that 40 per cent of those businesses were considering increasing the number of people they employ over the next two years.
The Hodgman Government is helping small businesses increase employment through our $25 million youth employment strategy, which includes incentives for small businesses to hire new apprentices and trainees. That program is already being rolled out and is having tremendous success.
Today I visited Envorinex in George Town to hear firsthand how that business is looking to expand and create new job opportunities in regional Tasmania.
Envorinex currently employs six people, but is looking to nearly double the number of employees. We are working with Envorinex to see how we can best help them grow and create new job opportunities.
Under the Hodgman Government, over 11,000 jobs have already been created, but we know that there is a lot more to do. That’s why we have a Plan to Build Your Future.