Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

From the outset of COVID-19 the government understood that one of our first economic priorities had to be to put in place the policy so that our employers could keep their apprentices and trainees on the job, where we needed them the most. We have done that through our Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy, which will continue until March this year. In fact, as at 11 February, the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees measure has now assisted over 62,600 businesses. As the minister for small and family business, I'm pleased to say that that includes 98 per cent of those small businesses and it has helped them retain almost 120,000 apprentices and trainees. That is 120,000 apprentices and trainees who have been kept on the job because of the economic response the Morrison government put in place. We also have our $1.2 billion Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy, which aims to create 100,000 new apprenticeships. (Time expired)