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

Tonight, the government will unveil one of the most significant budgets in modern history. This federal budget, as the Prime Minister and the Treasurer have said, is all about jobs. This federal budget is all about helping those who are out of work get into work, and helping those who're in a job stay in a job. From our very first stimulus package, the government have put in place support to ensure that our apprentices and trainees are able to stay on the job. We've done this through our supporting apprentice and trainee wage subsidy. This will now support around 180,000 apprentices and trainees across 90,000 businesses to stay on the job, because that is exactly where we need them to be.

The Prime Minister has also said that the COVID-19 economic recovery will be a skills-led recovery. That is why we have announced the introduction of a wage subsidy, to ensure that we're supporting the commencement of 100,000 new apprentices and trainees. As of yesterday, if businesses of any size, in any industry, in any geographic location in Australia, sign up a new apprentice or trainee they will be eligible for a 50 per cent wage subsidy on wages paid from 5 October through to 30 September 2021. Whether it's in manufacturing, whether it's in housing, whether it's in construction or whether it's in the arts or the mining sectors, our new wage subsidy will not only give businesses the certainty to hire but it will also provide a career path for aspiring young tradies and trainees. This latest measure will see the Morrison government's total investment to jobs and skilling Australians for this financial year now at almost $7 billion.