Peter Dutton unveils multimillion-dollar plan to benefit teens, tradies, apprentices

The Coalition has announced a $260m plan targeting Aussie teenagers and apprentices, as well as opening a series of new technical schools.

Australian teenagers will be able to earn money as a first-year apprentice while they finish high school under a $260 million Liberal plan to build 12 new technical colleges and turbocharge the nation’s skills pipeline.

Peter Dutton will on Thursday announce a future Coalition government will open a dozen Australian Technical Colleges, which are specialist skills schools for Years 10 to 12, with each state to have at least one.

Each student would be enrolled in a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship, for which they would be paid the normal award wage rate for their chosen field, as well as completing academic, IT and businesses courses that lead to a Year 12 Certificate.

While countries like France and Germany have up to 50 per cent of students taking up critical skills pathways in schools currently, only about 20,000 of the 1.6 million secondary students across Australia are doing a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship.

Peter Dutton will on Thursday announce a future Coalition government will open a dozen Australian Technical Colleges. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The Opposition leader will travel to the battleground Labor-held seat of Paterson in the NSW Hunter region on Thursday to announce the first location of the 12 new colleges.

Mr Dutton, who campaigned on housing in Melbourne on Wednesday ahead of the second leader’s debate in Western Sydney, said he wanted to see more young Australians learn a trade, build a “great career” and contribute to Australia’s success.

“Part of our plan will mean building the workforce we need to tackle the housing and construction challenges head-on,” he said.

“Not enough students are taking up the skills we need to solve the urgent national challenges we face.

“A new national network of Australian Technical Colleges will help skill the next generation of workers we need to build more homes and infrastructure, and our efforts in areas like defence and nuclear energy.”

Mr Dutton said he wanted to “fix the skills crisis”.

Deputy Liberal leader and skills and training spokeswoman Sussan Ley said the colleges were a “once in a generation reform”. “Australian Technical Colleges will be the change in direction that Australia’s education system needs,” she said.

“They will give young people the opportunity to get a head start on in-demand skills.

“We have always rejected the idea that if you haven’t made it to university then you haven’t made it in life — and that principle underpins this significant announcement.”

Each student would be enrolled in a school-based apprenticeship or traineeship, for which they would be paid the normal award wage rate for their chosen field. Picture: iStock

The colleges were first devised by former prime minister John Howard, who established 28 of them after the 2004 election in regions with skills shortages and high youth unemployment.

Mr Howard had pledged to open another 100 colleges in 2007, but the incoming Rudd Government opted for a different approach after winning that election.

The Coalition has pledged to give businesses up to $12,000 to take on a trainee or apprentice, while young Australians who take up training in a critical skill area would be eligible for up to $10,000 in support.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who campaigned in Melbourne on Wednesday, has also put skills and housing at the centre of his campaign pitch, pledging $1.5bn to make fee-free TAFE permanent and also offering $10,000 incentives to apprentices in key trades.

Originally published as Peter Dutton unveils multimillion-dollar plan to benefit teens, tradies, apprentices