Alex Antic (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is for the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Cash. Minister, how is the Morrison government supporting our skills system through the COVID-19 pandemic and putting in place reforms for a better skills system on the other side?

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

I thank Senator Antic for the question.

Senator Ayres interjecting—

I will take that interjection from Senator Ayres. Senator Ayres, it is a fact that the federal government does not fund TAFE. So every time someone on the Labor side opens their mouth and says, 'The federal government has cut TAFE,' you are actually wrong. You may want to speak to your own state government because they are responsible.

This week is the 10th National Skills Week. It is a week in which we celebrate vocational education and training in Australia. Certainly, as Australia recovers from the economic effects of COVID-19, a skilled workforce has never been more important. That is why the Morrison government has made such a large investment in making our skills system more responsive to the labour market demands of this country and more attractive to potential students from all walks of life.

As part of our economic response to COVID-19, we have committed $2.8 billion across 2019-20 and 2021 to support small and medium business across Australia to retain their apprentices. That is of course through our Supporting Apprentices and Trainees measure. This subsidy will support around 90,000 businesses across Australia employing around 180,000 apprentices. It will ensure that they are allowed to continue in their jobs despite COVID-19. In fact, since we launched this subsidy on 2 April, as at 13 August this measure has already supported 87,570 apprentices across 50,260 employers and has resulted in $462 million in payments that have been paid out to employers so that they can keep on their apprentices and trainees.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Antic, a supplementary question?

Alex Antic (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, how will the government's JobTrainer fund support Australians to get skills in the areas of demand and drive further reform of Australia's vocational education and training system?

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

I've referred to the $2.8 billion that the government have committed to supporting apprentices and trainees as a result of the impact of COVID-19, but we have also now partnered with states and territories around Australia to establish a $1 billion JobTrainer fund. The Commonwealth has committed half a billion dollars towards this fund, and I'm very pleased to say that all states and territories have signed up and have agreed to commit the matched funding. This will now deliver an additional 347,700 training places across Australia. Those training places will be free or low cost. They will also be in identified areas of skills need in individual states and territories.

All states and territories have also signed our Heads of Agreement for Skills Reform. We are working across Australia, with our state and territory counterparts, to make positive— (Time expired)

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Antic, a final supplementary question?

Alex Antic (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, how will the government's JobMaker plan support labour force recovery and build on the coalition's strong record of economic management and job creation?

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

The investment in JobTrainer and the investment that we've made in ensuring that employers across Australia are able to keep on their apprentices and trainees is all part of our broader JobMaker plan. The JobMaker plan is the Morrison government's plan for economic recovery as a result of COVID-19. Of course, at the heart of this plan is job creation, ensuring that employers across Australia are able to stay in business, keep their doors open and, to the extent possible, prosper, grow and create more jobs for Australians. Undertaking skills reform is an integral part of that JobMaker plan. We need to ensure that we have a training system in place that responds to what industry and employers are telling us they need. We need to have a training system that ensures that the people going through it are job ready at the end of it, and that is what we are committed to. (Time expired)