The Morrison Government is backing Australia’s future tradies, plumbers, tilers and chefs with a $365.3 million investment that will support an extra 35,000 apprentices and trainees get into a job.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the extension of the successful Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements and Completing Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidies would build on the record number of Australians currently in trades training.
“By backing 385,000 apprentices in their training we’re boosting the pipeline of workers Australia is going to need for a stronger economy and a stronger future,” the Prime Minister said.
“These programs deliver certainty for business so they can go and hire another apprentice chef, another apprentice hairdresser, another apprentice plumber. It is about getting Australians skilled and into jobs right now.
“I’ve met trade apprentices across the country supported by these programs and we want to help even more Australians take advantage of the skills and jobs that come with learning a trade.
“Trades training shores up our skills pipeline, gets people into work, drives down unemployment and gives businesses the confidence to keep on hiring.
“Learning a trade doesn’t just give you skills for a job, it gives you the skills and opportunities for your future. Out of a group of students studying trades I met just last week, more than half told me they were planning to one day open their own businesses and they know they can do that because they’re learning skills that people need.
“Right now, there are more than 350,000 apprentices and trainees in-training and a record 220,000 of these are trade apprentices, and these investments are about making those numbers go even higher.”
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said this continued strong support for the skills sector would help lock in Australia’s economic recovery by delivering opportunities for apprentices and certainty for businesses.
“The 2022-23 Budget will outline the Government’s long term economic plan to create more jobs,” the Treasurer said.
“Through the Government’s plan to skill young Australians, there are 120,000 more young Australians in work compared to under the previous Labor government.”
Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business Stuart Robert said the Morrison Government was investing record funding in the skills sector, $7.8 billion this financial year alone, which is helping secure the futures of tens of thousands of skilled workers.
“The Morrison Government’s record investment in skills and training is seeing hundreds of thousands of Australians – including a record number of women trade apprentices – getting skilled and taking up jobs,” Minister Robert said.
“Our investment in Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements has seen almost 75,000 women supported to get skilled since it was launched 18 months ago.
“Australia can’t afford to lose the momentum we have created on skills. Australians know the Morrison Government stands for getting more Australians skilled and into jobs, while at the same time Labor are proposing to cut skills funding and have no plan for apprenticeships.”
Enrolments for the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencement wage subsidy, which provides employers with 12 months of wage subsidy support, are being extended to the end of the 2021-22 financial year (30 June 2022).
Any business that receives the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencement (BAC) wage subsidy will also then be eligible for extended support through the Completing Apprenticeship Commencements (CAC) wage subsidy for the second and third year of a Boosting Apprenticeship Commencement-supported apprenticeship.
As of 24 March 2022, over 73,000 businesses have been supported to put on an apprentice or trainee through Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements subsidy.
Any employer who takes on an apprentice or trainee up until 30 June 2022 can gain access to:
- 50 per cent of the eligible Australian Apprentice’s wages in the first year, capped at a maximum payment value of $7,000 per quarter per Australian Apprentice,
- 10 per cent of the eligible Australian Apprentice’s wages in the second year, capped at a maximum payment value of $1,500 per quarter per Australian Apprentice, and
- 5 per cent of the eligible Australian Apprentice’s wages in the third year, capped at a maximum payment value of $750 per quarter per Australian Apprentice.