Page 34 - Climate Control News Magazine August 2019

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Addressing the skills gap with 80,000 new apprenticeships
MINISTER FOR SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS, SKILLS AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, SENATOR MICHAELIA CASH, PROVIDES A BREAKDOWN OF HOW THE GOVERNMENT’S $525 MILLION FUNDING PACKAGE WILL BE SPENT TO ADDRESS AUSTRALIA’S SKILLS SHORTAGE.
Australia’s VET sector is accessible, high quality and responsive to industry needs.
This package enhances VET as a direct path- way into Australia’s labour market – be it for their first job, for career progression, to transition to new industries or to create their own business.
It provides clear and reliable careers guidance to inform study choices, provides foundational skills so no one is left behind and will get more apprentices in jobs in areas of demand.
Our new apprenticeship incentive will address priority areas of skills shortage for traditional trades including carpenters, plumbers and of course, refrigeration and air conditioning.
“WE ARE STREAMLINING THE PROCESS FOR EMPLOYERS TO WORK OUT WHAT SUPPORT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR WHEN ENGAGING A NEW APPRENTICE.”
– SENATOR MICHAELIA CASH.
We are providing an additional $4,000 in- centive payment to employers and $2,000 to apprentices.
At the same time, we are streamlining the process for employers to work out what sup- port they are eligible for when engaging a new apprentice. Delivering Skills for Today and To- morrow package simplifies the current Aus- tralian Apprenticeship Incentives Program by consolidating the more than 30 current pay- ment categories into 14.
These significant investments by the govern- ment are a significant part of our economic plan that will see 1.25 million jobs created over the next five years. ✺
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THE GOVERNMENT’S DELIVERING Skills for Today and Tomorrow package responds to the expert review into Australia’s VET sector led by Steven Joyce, which set out a vision for VET as a modern and flexible alternative to classroom- based learning.
This Package will ensure Australians develop the skills they need to succeed in a changing work- place and will provide businesses (including those in rural and regional areas) with a pipeline of qual- ified workers they need to grow and prosper.
The package will:
Create up to 80,000 additional apprentices over five years in priority skill shortage areas through a new apprenticeship incentive ($156.3 million over four years from 2019-20 and an ad- ditional $108.0 million in 2023-24).
Increase support provided to people with lower levels of education attainment to enable them to gain the skills they need to secure jobs now and into the future. This will include four pilots in remote Indigenous communities ($62.4 million).
Address youth unemployment by providing 400 scholarships in regions throughout Austral- ia ($8.2 million).
Raise the profile of the VET sector and im- prove career advice to young Australians and workers transitioning careers by establishing a National Careers Institute and a National Ca- reers Ambassador ($32.4 million).
Develop skills in areas of need by building in- novative partnerships between schools, employ- ers and the VET sector through a new competi- tive grants program ($10.0 million).
Promote a nation-wide approach to skills devel- opment, including through better identifying areas of skills shortages, and enhance the role of industry in designing training courses byestablishing a Na- tional Skills Commission and piloting Skills Organ- isations across the country in the key areas of hu- man services care and digital technologies including cyber security ($90.0 million).
Provide greater job opportunities for young people in regions with high youth unemploy- ment through ten Training Hubs that create better linkages between schools and local in- dustry ($50.6 million).
Streamline incentives for employers of ap- prentices and trainees and modernise the skills needs list ($44.0 million).
The Liberal National Government will ensure
Elected to the Senate for Western Australia in 2007, Senator Michaelia Cash is the Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational was re-elected in 2013 and
CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU
Education. Cash
2016. Prior to her political career, Cash was a solicitor with law firm Freehills.
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