Free AI, Cyber Security and Procurement Training for Townsville Small Businesses

Running a small or family business in Townsville usually means there’s no spare budget line for staff training, and even less spare time to go find it. Worth knowing, then, that the Queensland Government is currently funding two separate free training programs relevant to almost any local business — one aimed at business planning, AI, cyber security and procurement skills, the other a standalone free cyber security course. Neither is something we deliver ourselves, but they’re genuinely useful enough that we think local businesses should know they exist.

What the Queensland Government just announced

On 29 July 2026, the Crisafulli Government announced an expanded $11.5 million investment in free micro-credential courses for small and family businesses, delivered by the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). Six new micro-credential courses are being added by 2029, covering topics including artificial intelligence, cyber security and procurement, as part of the government’s Small and Family Business First Action Statement. Courses are offered face-to-face, online and in hybrid formats, aimed specifically at fitting around a busy small business owner’s schedule rather than requiring a block of time off.

Courses open right now through UniSC

• Business Planning — 2 hours a week for 6 weeks, free, for Queensland-based small and family businesses. Delivered simultaneously online and in person, with full online support for anyone outside the on-site locations.
• Continuity Planning — building a business continuity plan and improving overall resilience.
• Workforce Planning for Business — a 7-week course on improving productivity and operational efficiency.

Registrations for 2026 intakes are opening soon. Interested businesses can register through UniSC’s business planning course page, or reach the team directly on [email protected] or (07) 5430 2925.

AI, cyber security and procurement — coming in 2027

The three courses most likely to interest a wider range of Townsville businesses — artificial intelligence, cyber security and procurement — are still in development, expected in early 2027. UniSC is taking expressions of interest now, which is worth doing even this early, since it’s the only way to get notified the moment enrolments open.

A separate free course you can do sooner — TAFE's cyber security micro-credential

Outside the UniSC program entirely, TAFE Queensland already offers a free, stand-alone cyber security micro-credential through the Queensland Future Skills Partnership, funded through investment from the Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan. It’s a short, blended course — roughly 6 to 8 hours total, combining a self-paced online module with a practical activity and a facilitated webinar or workshop — covering current and emerging cyber security trends, threats and their impacts, the legislation and frameworks relevant to Australian businesses, and how to support cyber security efforts across a workplace. Expressions of interest are particularly encouraged from workers in regional locations, which very much includes Townsville and the rest of North Queensland.

Worth pairing training with an actual check of your systems

Training builds knowledge, which is genuinely useful on its own — but it doesn’t tell you whether your business’s own email, network and accounts are actually protected today. If that’s the question you’re really trying to answer, that’s a different job to a course, and it’s exactly what our sister business, Suburban Secure, does for Townsville and North Queensland businesses — starting with a free, instant cyber security check that takes a couple of minutes.

If any of this raises a “does our setup actually hold up” question while you’re in the middle of it, our business IT support covers the everyday side, and Suburban Secure covers the proper security review — either way, get in touch and we’ll point you to the right one.

• Queensland Government: Securing employment for more Queenslanders through small business micro-credential courses
• Business Queensland: Micro-credential courses for small business
• UniSC: Register for the free Business Planning micro-credential
• UniSC: Register interest in upcoming AI, cyber security and procurement courses
• TAFE Queensland: Free cyber security micro-credential (Queensland Future Skills Partnership)
• Suburban Secure — cyber security and IT governance
• Free cyber security check for businesses and charities
• Book a service call