Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Rennick for the question. A strong vocational education and training system is critical not only for Australia's long-term recovery from COVID-19 but also to support our future growth and our future prosperity. As a former skills minister myself, I'm always happy to hear about Australians taking up the opportunities that are presented by vocational education and training in this country. Without a doubt, certainly from the people I've spoken to, it's a rewarding pathway and it leads to rewarding careers. The Morrison government is committed to delivering a world-class vocational education and training system for all Australians. This is a system which will ensure that, as a country, we have the appropriate skills that we need, both now and into the future.

Last year, the Morrison government provided the biggest investment into skills funding, with almost $6 billion put into skills funding in Australia over the year. This included COVID-19 support measures like the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy, which, I'm pleased to advise, has helped keep around 140,000 apprentices and trainees in jobs across Australia. As we know, in an economic downturn, the first people to go are normally the apprentices and the trainees, but putting in place the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy has ensured that we've kept around 140,000 of them on the job, on the tools, where we need them to be. As you know, we also partnered with the states and territories, and we introduced measures including JobTrainer and the boosting apprentices and trainees wage subsidy. This measure is now helping Australians get the skills that they need, but it's also helping Australian employers take on into their businesses a new apprentice or trainee. Again, it's all about giving us the skills that we need.