Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. She and I both know how important skills training is for future workforces. Businesses from Cottesloe on the west coast all the way through to Coolangatta on the east coast and everywhere in between have always employed apprentices. We want to encourage them to continue to engage and take on apprentices.

The Morrison government is very proud to be putting apprentices at the centre of our economic recovery. That's why, in the budget last year, we announced the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy as part of our $74 billion JobMaker plan. We've supported 100,000 places with that wage subsidy since October last year, and that includes 980 in the member for Curtin's electorate. This subsidy is already supporting the creation of more than 9,000 future bricklayers, carpenters and joiners; 8,000 future electricians; 7,000 future mechanics and over 12,000 people in retail and hospitality work.

The take-up for that program was so strong that it reached its capacity within five months. That's why, last week, we announced an extra $1.2 billion to support another 70,000 new apprentices and trainees, to make sure that businesses had the skilled workforce that they needed to be able to grow. The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy provides a full 12 months' support when an apprentice or trainee begins before 30 September this year. I encourage all business owners who are contemplating taking on an apprentice to do so, to support our young people and those that are willing, ready and able to take on an apprenticeship. Give them a go. There has never been a better or more important time for businesses to take on an apprentice.

This wage subsidy is one of a raft of measures that we've put in place in the skills and training sector. Our government is making significant, strategic, record investments to ensure our skills development is the envy of the world. We're doing that because we know that it's good for businesses, it's good for workers and it's good for our nation. We are focused on very practical outcomes that provide an opportunity for all Australians, whether it's our business owners who are wanting to expand or our workers looking to upskill, right through to our school leavers who might be looking now for their first job. We understand how important it is to make sure that our workers are skilled for the future.

See this speech in context