Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

As I visit many of the wonderful communities in Longman, I get to see firsthand the amazing work our principals, teachers and other educators are doing to prepare our kids for the future. Kids these days are growing up in a very different world to the one I grew up in and have access to technology I could only have dreamed about when I was young.

With this in mind, it's important that we encourage students towards careers that have a future. According to the 2020 graduate outcomes survey, graduates in dentistry, medicine, engineering and teaching have the highest full-time employment rates three years after they've graduated. The degree holders with the lowest employment rates after three years were in creative arts, humanities, culture and social sciences, tourism, hospitality, personal services, sport and recreation, and communications. The Australian government is helping to give our young graduates the best opportunity of getting work by providing funding where it is needed most.

We're also supporting the creation of 100,000 new apprenticeships and protecting a further 180,000 apprenticeships and trainees through our 50 per cent wage subsidy. Employers of any sized industry in any location can now sign up new apprentices and trainees and claim up to 50 per cent of their wage, capped at $7,000 a quarter, until 30 September next year. We've also extended an advanced apprenticeship pilot program that strengthens partnerships between industry and participating universities and teaches students the skills needed to prepare them for industry jobs of the future. We have launched the JobTrainer Fund in Queensland in partnership with the state government. (Time expired)

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