The Department of Employment, Small Business and Training was established following a Machinery of Government change in December 2017 which saw the new department created with the responsibilities for employment (from Queensland Treasury), small business (from the Department of Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games) and training (from the Department of Education and Training). The creation of the new department recognises the important relationship between employment outcomes, strong small businesses and a skilled workforce to the wellbeing of Queenslanders and their communities.