Hundreds of thousands of new apprentice places spearhead workplace skills drive

TRADIES say housing prices are crazy and welfare cheats are ‘being handfed money’. But they are singing ScoMo’s praises for creating 300,000 new apprenticeships to fill gaping holes in the workforce.

Young builders Shea Davies, Tyson Fitzgerald, and Mark Cornelio on a job sight. Picture: Justin Lloyd

APPRENTICESHIPS have been turbo charged with 300,000 new ­places created under a $1.5 billion program to fill gaping holes in the workforce and provide more skilled workers for business.

And the Skilling Australians Fund will ensure Australians receive first option to fill skilled positions ahead of qualified workers from overseas.

Recognising the national shortage of work skills and low apprenticeship completion rates, the Turnbull Government said university had been ­regarded as “the only option for a post school education” for too long.

Vocational Education and Skills Minister Karen Andrews said: “While university is a critical element of our education system, a vocation and technical education should be as prized as a university degree.”

The new program will provide ­places for 300,000 new apprentices over the next four years delivering a “skilled workforce Australian ­employers need to fill skills gaps and enable their businesses to grow”.

A new $60 million mentoring program aimed at substantially boosting completion rates also will provide extra support for around 47,000 ­apprentices from specialists with ­industry expertise.

The huge boost in apprenticeships follows the government’s radical overhaul of school funding that provides an extra $18.6 billion over the next decade based on student need and cost cuts in university education.

All Australian schools will transition over 10 years to a consistent share of Commonwealth funding under the “Gonski 2.0” model, which has been strongly attacked by Catholic education chiefs. From 2018 to 2027 funding is forecast to grow at an average per-student rate of 5.1 per cent for government schools, 4.1 per cent for independent schools and 3.5 per cent for Catholic schools.

TRADIES HAVE THEIR SAY
By Rose Brennan

“BLOODY ridiculous” housing prices and welfare cheats “being handfed money” — these tradies aren’t using pollie waffle when it comes to the
2017 budget.

Taking a break at their western Sydney worksite, the group was singing the praises of Treasurer Scott Morrison for enshrining the Australian “fair go” by tackling cost of living and welfare cheats. Tyson Fitzgerald, 20, works 50 hours a week as an apprentice — earning just $46,500 a year.

Gavin O'Leary, Tyson Fitzgerald, and Mark Cornelio in Werrington Downs. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“If you’re being handfed money and not even trying to get a job while the rest of us are busting our arses off you don’t deserve it,” he said.

Mark Cornelio is married with a household income of $150,000. He welcomed help for pensioners, telling The Daily Telegraph he feared how his body would fare later in life after decades of working as a tradie.

Shed Davies, a first year carpentry apprentice, said he had already resigned himself to the fact “he would never own a home”.

“Anything that creates employment or infrastructure in western Sydney is good for me because that means more housing and more work,” he said.

Originally published as Hundreds of thousands of new apprentice places spearhead workplace skills drive