$2 BILLION SKILLS PACKAGE TO DELIVER ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND GROWTH

The Morrison Government will invest $2 billion to give hundreds of thousands of Australians access to new skills by retraining and upskilling them into sectors with job opportunities.

The new JobTrainer skills package will also guarantee support for tens of thousands of apprentices in jobs across Australia, including the Barker by subsidising their wages to keep them employed and their training secured.

The new $1 billion JobTrainer Fund will provide up to an additional 340,700 training places across Australia to help school leavers and job seekers access pre-apprenticeships, short courses and full qualifications to develop new skills in growth sectors and create a pathway to more qualifications.

Courses will be free or low cost in areas of identified need, with the Federal Government providing $500 million with matched contributions from State and Territory Governments.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the JobTrainer skills package was focused on getting people into jobs.

“JobTrainer will ensure more Australians have the chance to reskill or upskill to fill the jobs on the other side of this crisis,” the Prime Minister said.

“COVID-19 is unprecedented but I want Australians to be ready for the sorts of jobs that will come as we build back and recover.

The package also includes an additional $1.5 billion to expand the wage incentive to help keep apprentices in work. It builds on the initial $1.3 billion package announced in March.

In addition to small businesses already covered, the wage subsidy will now be available to medium businesses with less than 200 employees for apprentices employed as at 1 July 2020. Around 180,000 apprentices and 90,000 small and medium businesses that employ them will now be supported, with the program extended by six months to March 2021.

The initiative covers 50 per cent of the wages paid to apprentices and trainees, up to $7,000 per quarter.

Member for Barker Tony Pasin welcomed the announcement and said the expanded waged subsidy would more than double the number of supported apprentices and trainees.

“The Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy will now help almost 90,000 businesses employing around 180,000 apprentices and trainees throughout Australia,” Mr Pasin said.

“This will dramatically improve the viability of tens of thousands of apprenticeships and the businesses employing them right across the country including here in Barker.” Mr Pasin said that this will provide a much-needed boost to jobseekers and school leavers in Barker to ensure locals are trained in the skills needed by our local businesses and communities.

“Backing training, apprentices, and jobs is all part of the Morrison Government’s plan to restore our economy after the coronavirus pandemic and keep Australians in work,” Mr Pasin said.

Media Contact: Charlotte Edmunds 8531 2466