By Staff Writer

Queensland councils will seek to employ more than 570 young trainees in the next 12 months, according to the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ).

With the State Government now subsidising the recruitment of trainees, local government in Queensland are ready to spend more than $15 million on employing new apprentices in 2009 alone.

LGAQ president Paul Bell said state funding for local government trainees is a result of last year’s campaign for renewed youth unemployment initiatives.

“Last year, we knew the escalating global economic crisis would lead to a rise in youth unemployment, especially in regional areas,” Cr Bell said.

“At the time, the LGAQ called on the state government to reinvigorate its youth unemployment initiatives that had been scaled back considerably.”

He said 260 of the new traineeships will form part of the Queensland Government’s Green Army initiative.

The new recruits are in addition to the 100 school-based trainees and apprentices currently engaged with local government.