Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McLachlan for the question. As Australia and Australians recover from the devastation of COVID-19, supporting a skilled workforce has never been more important. In addition to the support of the JobKeeper payment, which, as we know, is seeing around 3.5 million Australians maintain that so-important connection with their employer, the Morrison government will invest a record $6.5 billion in skills, not only to keep apprentices and trainees on the job but also to ensure that Australians have the skills they need to move into employment.

Our $6.5 billion investment includes $2.8 billion in support for apprentices and trainees to keep them on the job, and the $1 billion JobTrainer fund to help Australians upskill and reskill in areas of demand. South Australians will be pleased to know that yesterday I announced, with the South Australian Premier, Steven Marshall, and the South Australian skills minister, David Pisoni, the launch of the South Australian JobTrainer fund, a skills funding boost of around $69 million for South Australia. I congratulate the South Australian government on working with the Commonwealth to ensure that we have this important injection of additional funds into the South Australian economy. That around $69 million will now support thousands of South Australians to transition into further training or employment in areas of demand in South Australia.

The $1 billion JobTrainer investment by the government, matched by the states and territories, builds on the substantial skills reform agenda that we have been implementing since 2018. We have established the National Skills Commission to improve labour market forecasting and skills needs assessments which will inform the work of the JobTrainer fund.