Mary Doyle (Aston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government is building Australia's future. But, if we are serious about building that future, about building more homes, delivering clean energy and strengthening our communities, then we must also build the workforce that will deliver it. That is why we are backing apprentices by putting real support––real dollars––behind the next generation of carpenters, plumbers and sparkies, who will build this nation going forward.

The Albanese Labor government is providing $10,000 directly to apprentices to help them complete their training. That's practical support with the cost of tools, equipment and fuel that will help with the everyday pressures that come with starting out in a trade. We are also making free TAFE permanent because we understand a simple truth: investing in TAFE is investing in Australia's future.

In my electorate of Aston, we are already seeing the benefits. Our government's Key Apprenticeship Program is attracting new apprentices into housing construction right where we need them most. It is driving Australians towards the occupations that will help us build more homes and address housing supply challenges. I'm proud to say that my home state of Victoria is leading the nation in apprenticeship commencements under this program. In the first six months since the Housing Construction Apprenticeship stream launched on 1 July 2025, 11,407 apprentices commenced in housing construction trades across Australia. Of those, 3,415 were in Victoria, working with 2,598 Victorian employers. That is real progress and momentum. Almost half of Victorian apprentices are aged 19 and under. That tells us this program is opening doors for young Australians, giving them a pathway into secure, well-paid careers. These are careers that cannot be outsourced. These are careers that build communities.

We are also seeing encouraging signs when it comes to women entering trades. Victoria has recorded 148 women apprentice commencements under the program. There is still much more work to do, but this is a movement in the right direction. The National Centre for Vocational Education Research data shows that the number of women in training and trade apprenticeships has increased by 46.8 per cent compared to pre-COVID levels. That is why we are backing this up with measures like the $60 million Building Women's Careers Program, because building Australia's future means ensuring everyone has the opportunity to be part of it. The Key Apprenticeship Program is structured to support apprentices from start to finish. Participants receive $2,000 at six months, 12 months, 24 months and 36 months, and another $2,000 on completion. Employers can claim up to $5,000 in the first year. For those who need to relocate, the living away from home allowance provides weekly support, and we have increased that allowance for the first time since 2003. We have also increased the Disability Australian Apprentice Wage Support payment for the first time since 1998. These are not symbolic changes. They are practical reforms that ease cost-of-living pressures and set Australians up with skills for life.

Let me tell you about Sheldon from Melbourne. Sheldon is six months into his first year as a plumbing apprentice. He said that the $10,000 incentive is 'definitely a big help––$10,000 is a lot of money'. He told us it goes towards his tools and his car and that is a 'big incentive to keep going'. And that is what this is about—keeping people in apprenticeships, helping them complete their training and giving them confidence that their government backs them. The truth is in 2022 we inherited the worst skills shortage in 50 years. A decade of Liberal neglect hollowed out the apprenticeship system. Billions were ripped from TAFE and training. Seven billion dollars was spent on untargeted schemes with dropout rates as high as 60 per cent, while critical trades were ignored.

Labor is taking a different approach. We are delivering targeted, direct support to apprentices in clean energy and housing construction. We are investing in TAFE. We are supporting employers who train the next generation, and we are rebuilding a skills system that works for workers, industry and the nation. Backing apprentices is not just about filling jobs; it is about building homes, powering our clean energy future and giving young Australians secure, well-paid careers. Labor backs apprentices. We back skills, and this Albanese Labor government backs Australia's future.

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