Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McLucas for the question. I take on board one of the interjections. I do congratulate the employers who were involved in the work. They had a role to play and they allowed those apprentices to take the time, get the extra training and attend, so I do thank those employers. On the stimulus, as I said, we understand that we must now prepare for the future. We must skill up the country and skill up our apprenticeships for the future, and that is what we are doing. That is why we have the 10 per cent figure for apprentices. That scheme is actually working. Recently I went to Seven Hills and saw a pre-apprenticeship scheme at one of our community housing programs—young apprentices working to build a stimulus house. It will take almost 12 months off their apprenticeship. This is the work that the Labor government is doing. (Time expired)