Local MP Darren Chester has welcomed a $2 billion Federal Government skills funding package to train and up-skill hundreds of thousands of Australians for jobs in growth industries.
The new funding package will also guarantee support for tens of thousands of apprentices in jobs across Australia, including in Gippsland, by subsidising their wages to keep them employed and their training secured.
The package comprises the $1 billion JobTrainer Fund, which will provide up to an additional 340,700 training places 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. Of those training places, more than 88,000 will be in Victoria.
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.
Mr Chester said the measures would help ensure job applicants have the skills needed to fill vacancies as the economy strengthens.
“This is a difficult and uncertain time for many people, including our young school leavers and job seekers,” Mr Chester said. “My message to them is things will get better, the economy will turn around and there will be more jobs in the future. They need to prepare now.
“The JobTrainer Fund provides a pathway forward: it will help those looking for work to get the skills required to fill the positions that become available.
“Supporting training, apprentices and jobs is all part of the Federal Government’s plan to restore the economy after the coronavirus pandemic and help people back to work.”
The health and education sectors have experienced the highest jobs growth in Gippsland in the past.
The skills funding 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 July 1, 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.
Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business Michaelia Cash said the JobTrainer skills package would form a vital part of the national recovery efforts.
“Our nation has faced many challenges, and it is critical that we keep our apprentices in jobs and help those looking for work,” Minister Cash said.
“This package will be essential as the economy rebuilds so that people looking for work can reskill and upskill for in-demand jobs, provide school leavers with a pathway into their careers, and ensure businesses are able to get the skilled workers they need.”
Assistant Minister for Vocational Education, Training and Apprenticeships Steve Irons said the expanded wage 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,” Assistant Minister Irons said.
“This will dramatically improve the viability of tens of thousands of apprenticeships and the businesses employing them right across the country.”
States and territories need to sign up to a new Heads of Agreement to access JobTrainer funding, with the agreement setting out reforms to improve the vocational education and training sector, and providing the foundation for long term improvements.
