The announcement today from Minister Luke Donnellan MP and Minister Steve Herbert MP of a 50 per cent discount on vehicle registration for trade apprentices was greeted enthusiastically by Master Builders Association of Victoria CEO Radley de Silva, citing the action as supportive of careers in the building and construction industry.

The announcement was made at Master Builders’ Building Leadership Simulation Centre in South Melbourne, a state-of-the-art training facility unique in Australia that provides environmentally realistic instruction for the construction sector. The discount is a central feature of the Andrews Government’s $8.8 million discount registration scheme for eligible apprentices.

“Master Builders is deeply committed to nurturing the careers of our apprentices, and this scheme makes a practical gesture toward helping to alleviate the costs young men and women face in working hard to build those careers,” Mr de Silva said.

“It is vitally important for both government and our industry to remove obstacles to careers in building and construction, which is the second-largest full-time employer in Victoria.

“The discount scheme complements our own apprentice support programs, such as ALink, which provides much needed assistance, financial support, career advice and job opportunity information to our young trade apprentices,” Mr de Silva said.

“Our industry wants to see our politicians take action to boost skills and help create jobs in building and construction. As with the Victorian government’s recent announcement of changes to the Back to Work Scheme, the discount scheme is part of a range of actions that can help stimulate the number of skilled workers in the sector.

“Master Builders also provides further support and recognition of apprentice careers with the Master Builders Foundation and an annual awards program which reward many of them with tools and scholarships to help them do their important work and help offset expenses,” he said.