The Prime Minster today announced the new ‘JobTrainer’ package to support apprenticeships and new skills programs. This package is worth $2 billion.

The most immediate impact for our industry is the $1.5 billion extension and expansion of the apprentice wage subsidy. This subsidy was introduced earlier in the year to help small businesses (fewer than 20 employees) keep apprentices employed and learning through the COVID-19 period. This expansion will see the subsidy now continue until March 2021, and additionally it will be expanded to include medium-size employers (fewer than 200 employees) as eligible to participate in the program.

This means more MBV members will be eligible to receive the subsidy to help keep their apprentices. It is expected 180,000 apprentices and 90,000 small and medium businesses that employ them will now be supported.

The initiative covers 50 per cent of the wages paid to apprentices and trainees, up to $7000 per quarter.
The remaining $500 million of this package will work with State and Territory governments to create a $1 billion pool for re-skilling and up-skilling school leavers and job seekers. There is expected to be 340,700 free or low-cost training places targeted at skill areas of high demand. The objective is to help those without full employment into new or changed work that is predicted to come on the other side of the pandemic.

The full media release can be read here, while details of the “how to apply to be involved” will be released once State and Territory Governments have finalised their processes. We will provide further information when that happens.