How $2 billion JobTrainer package will help Australians
The Federal Government has unveiled its JobTrainer package that aims to help Australians gain the skills and qualifications they need to find work. This is how it will work.
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First it was JobSeeker, then JobKeeper, followed by JobMaker and now, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has unveiled JobTrainer.
As Australia unemployment rates continues to grow, the $2 billion package hopes to help job seekers and school leavers get back into the workforce by giving them access to free or low-cost courses that will build skills and provide qualifications in industry growth areas.
Australian apprentices and those who employ them are also set to benefit through an extension and expansion of wage subsidies.
Here’s what you need to know.
WHAT IS JOBTRAINER?
The JobTrainer program comes as Australia’s unemployment rate continues to climb with the latest figures revealing the June jobless rate was 7.4 per cent - the highest monthly unemplyoment figure in 22 years. The package hopes to help turn this figure around.
JobTrainer’s primary aim is to create more than 340,000 new training places across Australia to help school leavers and job seekers develop new skills, and gain qualifications, in industry growth areas. The program is backed by $500 million in federal funding with matched contributions from state and territory governments.
The Federal Government says the courses will be free or low cost and the program is set to commence at the beginning on September.
“It is sad and it is upsetting for many Australians that the industries and places where they’d been working, they will find it very difficult to find new employment in those sectors with those skills, potentially for some time,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. “And so we want to ensure they have the opportunity to make decisions. And be able to find employment in other sectors potentially so they can actually move forward with their own lives.”
He said it would offer Australians support no matter what” stage of the labour market or the life-cycle you are in”.
Mr Morrison indicated courses would also be available to those who are on JobSeeker.
WHAT INDUSTRIES IS JOBTRAINER LIKELY TO FOCUS ON?
Employment Minister Michaelia Cash the National Skills Commission would play a major role in identifying growth areas and establishing what skills employers would want now and in the future.
“We will work with states and territories to develop a list of qualifications and skill sets that will provide job seekers with the skills that are in demand by employers and are critical to the economic recovery,” Senator Cash said.
Senator Cash said the states and territories would determine what types of courses would be funded depending on their labour market needs.
“You may find some states would prefer to fund pre-apprentices and short courses, whereas others say, we would like to fund full qualifications,” she said.
However, while in-demand areas are yet to be finalised, the government has pointed to healthcare, social assistance, transport, warehouse, manufacturing and retail as sectors that may be focused on.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE IN THE PACKAGE?
Australia’s apprentices and the businesses who employ them are also set to benefit through an additional $1.5 billion in wage subsidies to help keep them employed. It builds on the initial $1.3 billion package announced in March.
The initiative covers 50 per cent of the wages paid to apprentices and trainees, up to $7,000 per quarter.
The initial investment was for small business with less than 20 employees and is currently supporting about 80,000 apprentices, but it will now be extended to businesses with up to 200 employees as at July 1.
“We know expect that apprentice wage subsidy will support around 180,000 apprentices across Australia,” Senator Cash said. “That’s an opportunity for 180,000 apprentices and trainees to remain in their job and in training, which is exactly where we want them to be.”
The wage subsidies were due to end in September but have now been extended until March 2021.
HOW MANY TRAINING PLACES WILL THERE BE ACROSS THE NATION?
VICTORIA: 108,600
NSW: 88,900
QLD: 68,500
WA: 35,200
SA: 23,500
TAS: 7100
ACT: 5700
NT: 3200
Total: 340,700
Originally published as How $2 billion JobTrainer package will help Australians