Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator Cash. Can the minister update the Senate on how the Liberal and National government funding for skills and training is securing our economic recovery from COVID by helping Australians to take up a trade, reskill or pick up new skills?

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

I thank Senator McDonald for the question. In the last two years, the Morrison government has made an unprecedented investment in skills and training. We've done this, in particular, to secure the pipeline of skilled workers that Australia needs. In fact, the Morrison government has delivered the highest number of Australians in trade apprenticeships on record.

We now have new department program data which demonstrates that the number of Australian in-training trade apprentices reached 217,400 in July 2021. That is the highest number since records began in 1963: 217,400 in July 2021, the highest on record since they actually began collecting the data in 1963. Evidence of the positive impacts of the investment being made by the Morrison government's record funding of skills and training is the number of Australians undertaking skills and training. That has now surged, with total in-training apprenticeships and traineeships for June 2021 at 347,266. This is up from 268,435 in June 2020.

Again, this is a direct result of the policies that the government has implemented. We understood that we needed to make the investments to secure that necessary pipeline of skilled workers. We have supported tradies across the board, whether by tax cuts or by the full-expensing measures. These have now seen order books for tools, machinery et cetera fill up across the country. We are supporting our skilled workforce, and the numbers that we now have are proof of that. (Time expired)

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McDonald, a supplementary question?

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

r McDONALD () (): With these strong numbers, how has the government continued to boost funding to vocational education and training to secure the pipeline of skilled workers?

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

We have now seen over $8.5 billion in vocational education and training investment. That is what the Morrison government has done since the commencement of the pandemic.

In 2020-21 we invested over $5.1 billion in skills and training. That helped Australian businesses retain their apprentices and then, if they could take that one step further, take on an additional apprentice. This financial year we have boosted that investment again with a record $6.4 billion in vocational education and training investment. This two years of investment also includes around $3.9 billion for the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy. That, of course, was in recognition of the fact that businesses did need assistance to take on an additional apprentice and that we would provide them with the necessary support to do that.

Of course, we have now gone further and expanded that program— (Time expired)

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McDonald, a second supplementary question?

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How will a skilled workforce support Australian jobs and businesses as part of our economic recovery and reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic?

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to 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.