Jerome Laxale (Bennelong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the Government's Key Apprenticeship Program (KAP) is delivering real outcomes, with over 11,400 housing apprentice commencements in the first six months;

(2) commends the Government for prioritising apprentices to build more houses through providing $10,000 incentive payments for apprentices in housing construction trades in instalments across the apprenticeship to support commencements and completions;

(3) recognises the Government's other measures to support apprentices, including increasing the allowance for apprentices living away from home for the first time in more than 20 years, while also doubling support for employers hiring apprentices with a disability;

(4) supports these measures as vital steps towards building a skilled workforce and addressing the worst skills shortage in 50 years which was left unaddressed by the previous Government; and

(5) further recognises that National Centre for Vocational Education Research data shows there were 22 per cent more apprentices in training within the construction sector at 30 June 2025 compared to 30 June 2019.

To build a better Australia, we need more homes, we need more manufacturing and we need to transition to renewable energy. And, to do all that, we need workers. We need more carpenters. We need more plumbers. We need more sparkies. We need more tradies. To deliver on this vision, one now backed not once but twice by the Australian people at elections, we need a strong and skilled workforce. Progress on skilling our workforce is critical to meeting our housing accord targets, our net zero commitments and our Future Made in Australia agenda.

That's why Labor has invested so heavily in skills, and one of those investments, of course, is the Key Apprenticeship Program: a $10,000 cash incentive going straight into the pockets of eligible apprentices, making sure they receive the support they need. Apprentices receive five $2,000 payments, while employers can claim up to $5,000 as well. That's necessary funding for expenses like tools, equipment and fuel to support workers in crucial industries like housing and construction.

The good news is that the data shows that our investments in skilling up our workforce are working. Since its launch in July last year, 11,407 apprentices have signed up to the Key Apprenticeship Program. But it doesn't just stop with that. For those who need to relocate for work and to train, the living away from home allowance offers weekly assistance throughout the apprenticeship's journey. We've raised that allowance for these workers for the first time in 20 years, a huge step in encouraging apprenticeship completions, particularly for people living in rural, regional and remote areas, boosting employment and economic growth. It's just one of many ways that we're reforming policy to address cost-of-living pressures and to reduce barriers to work.

In New South Wales alone, 2,759 new housing construction apprenticeships commenced across 2,186 employers. Younger Australians are getting fantastic head starts because of the policies of this government, as nearly 55 per cent of apprentices are aged 19 and under. Importantly, stats from the National Centre for Vocational Educational Research show that there were 22 per cent more apprentices in training within the construction sector at 30 June 2025 than there were at 30 June 2019. These policies matter, and they're delivering results.

Women's enrolments in the industry are highly promising with growth each and every year. But, of course, the government acknowledges, as does the sector, that there's so much more to do to balance out the gender gap in construction, which is why we've invested $60 million into the Building Women's Careers Program. Stuff like that is essential.

Let's never forget that, when we came to government in 2022, the government inherited one of the worst skill shortages in modern history. The former Liberal and National government handed down record-low apprentice numbers, the worst in 50 years. They neglected workers that the system and our economy needed. They ripped out billions from TAFE at the federal level. And, of course, in New South Wales, the state Liberals did even more: selling campuses and slashing jobs, leaving us with a crisis that we could not ignore. And we didn't.

We invested in free TAFE. Because of that, over half a million people's lives were changed. They were granted access to affordable education and set on a path for securing stable and well-paid employment. And today, because of Labor, free TAFE is a permanent feature of the national VET system.

My electorate in Bennelong is home to two TAFE campuses of our own, and there's one just across the border. We've got nurses, chefs, electricians, IT specialists and early childhood educators, all of whom can receive free TAFE locally. It's so important. It's keeping Australia running and it's making sure that workers can thrive.

To the carpenter and joiner, the plumber, the sparky, the glazier, the tiler, the brickie and the concreter: thank you. We need you to succeed so that you can build the homes that our society needs. You have to help us meet this housing crisis, and we've got the policies to back you in.

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