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

The Morrison government's Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy, which was introduced, as we know, last year, has already supported over 180,000 apprentices and trainees across Australia. That's 180,000 Australians who are now in apprenticeships or traineeships as a result of the wage subsidy that the Morrison government put in place. In terms of the wage subsidy itself, it's a 50 per cent wage subsidy, up to $7,000 per quarter, and a business is able to access this subsidy right up until March 2022—that is, March next year. They can take on a new apprentice or trainee, access the wage subsidy, and then they get that for a 12-month period. Again, this is all about putting in place those policies which enable employers who are seeking to bring on a new apprentice or trainee into their business to do just that.