Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Morrison government is all about opportunity for Australians. That is reflected in the employment figures for the month of May, when we saw employment absolutely exceed the creation of market expectations. In vocational education and training, in the skills part of the portfolio, we have provided an additional $2.7 billion to extend the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements subsidy. We want to see another 170,000 new apprentices and trainees brought onboard by Australian businesses. We have extended that policy until March 2022 because we understand that businesses out there need our assistance, and this is a way of assisting them to bring a new apprentice or a new trainee into their business. Encouragingly, we've seen since we announced this policy that 157,700 new apprentices, colleagues, have been brought on—new apprentices, 157,700 have been brought on. (Time expired)