Louise Markus (Macquarie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased that those opposite agree that it is important to plan for jobs for the future. That is one thing that we do agree on; how we get there is something we may disagree on. This government understands that the best planning you can do for jobs is to plan to deliver a strong economy—an environment in which business can prosper and, indeed, want to invest.

In the electorate of Macquarie, there are some 11,000 businesses. All contribute to jobs, and that is why, in the 2015-16 budget, we have planned to deliver so many measures to strengthen and grow small businesses. Small businesses provide some 4.5 million Australians with their jobs. They provide four in 10 jobs in the private sector, six in 10 jobs in the construction sector and eight in 10 jobs in the agriculture sector. Additionally, we are reducing the costs for small businesses to employ job seekers, through initiatives such as wage subsidies, and by assisting job seekers gain valuable work experience by providing $18 million over four years. Whilst this government recognises the challenges that young people are facing in jobs in an ever-changing world, wage subsidies will also be available to the mature-age worker through the Restart initiative.

The 2015-16 budget invests in education from preschool to postgraduate studies as part of the government's commitment to increasing opportunity, improving and safeguarding quality and excellence in education and ultimately improving job prospects. Total Commonwealth funding for schools across Australia will increase by $4.1 billion, a 27.9 per cent increase from 2014-15 through to 2018-19.

Members opposite have mentioned skills and training. There will be significant reform, including better governance, the introduction of a unique student identifier, a new model for supporting Australian apprentices and their employers, a contestable model for training packages and a review of the systems training products. There are also several major initiatives underway, with trade support loans for apprentices and the $664 million over five years for the Industry Skills Fund, supporting businesses to ensure that their staff have the skills required to make their businesses grow in the 21st century. Along with this, young employed people will receive skills linked to real jobs and support to re-engage with work, training or school through the government's two youth training pilots, which I have mentioned in this place before and which are being trialled in 32 sites across Australia, including the seat of Macquarie.

Under the Training for Employment scholarships, there will be around 7,500 scholarships. This is 7,500 young people who will receive up to $7,500 to assist employers to take on and train unemployed young people. The Youth Employment Pathways program offers up to $2,000 in assistance to eligible community service organisations to help disengaged 15- to 18-year-olds to get back into school, start VET or move into the workforce. These are programs that are already on the ground, impacting young people and creating opportunities for them to step into the work space.

Today we are talking about the future. Recently, the Minister for Education reflected on some comments by the Leader of the Opposition and said that the Australian government is investing $3.5 million to ensure that all students have the opportunity to study computer coding at both primary school and high school. The minister went on to say that the investment is part of the $12 million Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda to support the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The future is largely unknown. We know that, in the fast-growing technological age in which we live and work, our young people will have ever-shifting and very fast-growing demands placed upon them. It is important to set them up for success into the future.

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