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

The government understands that investing in and upskilling our workforce is a win-win for all Australians. It is certainly a win for Australian workers, and we've seen that with the numbers who are now actually undertaking a trade or apprenticeship et cetera. They have a great opportunity for career progression and also, as they progress through their careers of course they will have higher earning potential.

It's also a win, as we know, for Australian businesses because, with the numbers that we're seeing, they now know that they will have access to a skilled Australian workforce to enable them to invest in their businesses, to grow their businesses and to create further jobs for Australians. And, as we know, it's also a win for the Australian economy by ensuring that, with the numbers we're seeing, we're more globally competitive. In fact, the incredible number of apprentices who are now in a trade shows that we've made the right decision as a government in backing Australian businesses to take on even more apprentices.