The federal government will spend $1.2 billion to create more than 100,000 apprenticeships and traineeships in an effort to boost youth employment.
The federal government will spend $1.2 billion to create more than 100,000 apprenticeships and traineeships over the next four years in an effort to boost youth employment.
That spend will form a suite of measures announced today as part of the 2020-2021 federal budget to retain young people in the workforce.
Other efforts will include $4 billion to be spent on a JobMaker hiring credit that is intended to help businesses retain apprentices and trainees through to 2023.
Addressing the federal parliament this evening, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the budget included record investment in upskilling and reskilling for Australians.
“We have established the $1 billion JobTrainer fund to create up to 340,000 free or low cost training places for school leavers and job seekers,” he said.
“We have also committed $2.8 billion to protect 180,000 apprenticeships and trainees.
“Tonight, we go further.
“We commit an additional $1.2 billion to create 100,000 new apprenticeships and traineeships, with a 50 per cent wage subsidy for businesses who employ them.”
Other initiatives announced as part of the federal budget include: 50,000 new higher education short courses in agriculture, health, IT, science and teaching, 12,000 new places for higher education next year, and support for 2,000 indigenous students to complete Year 12 and seek ongoing employment.
“We are investing in regions across Australia to connect job seekers to local employment opportunities,” Mr Frydenberg said.
Today’s announcement comes after Senator Stirling Griff confirmed he would vote in favour of the federal government's job-ready graduates Bill, becoming the final vote to secure its passage.
The legislation will, among others, fund 39,000 extra university places across Australia while increasing the cost of humanities degrees and lowering the cost of those that are thought to produce more readily employable graduates.
Senator Jacqui Lambie, who had been lobbied by both the federal government and the University of Tasmania to support the Bill, last week said she would not support the legislation and said it deserved to fail.
“They [the federal government] might be happy to kick the ladder out from students who are trying to land their dream job, but I’m not prepared to do it,” she said.
