Northern Territory apprenticeships: Bonuses and benefits showered upon critical workforce
The NT Government says it no longer wants to talk jobs because there are too many out there – instead, skills are at the forefront. It’s good news for our apprentices, who are getting showered with bonuses and benefits.
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The NT Government says it no longer wants to talk jobs because there are too many out there – instead, skills are at the forefront of the push to develop the Territory’s economy into a $40 billion juggernaut by 2030.
Touting pleasing new figures for the number of apprentices and trainees currently undergoing training in the Northern Territory, Chief Minister Eva Lawler said the Territory’s future success would be earnt or burnt on the strength of skilled tradesmen and women.
According to recently released figures, there are now 3770 apprentices and trainees in the NT, a rise of 12 per cent on the previous numbers, and up from a trough of 2775 in the December 2017 quarter.
Ms Lawler also provided a status update on the new $10 million Charles Darwin University Trades Training Centre, jointly funded with the commonwealth, which is expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year.
The two-storey centre features a heavy equipment precinct, an assembly area, an industrial sand pit, and classrooms, and has been designed for trades courses that need larger work spaces, with initial focus on carpentry and roof plumbing.
“My government is getting Territory kids work ready, and reskilling Territorians for their next working opportunity,” she said.
“$109 million in budget 2024–25 is going towards getting more Territorians trained.
“Charles Darwin University’s new training centre will provide more courses for more students, that’s why we are backing it.”
Ms Lawler said there had never been a better time to dive into a trade in the Territory, with 2200 fee free TAFE places available between 2024–26, conjointly funded by the NT and commonwealth governments.
Free courses are currently on offer in sectors including aquaculture, construction, culinary arts such as baking, pastry and commercial cookery, early childhood education, hairdressing, horticulture, meat processing, and tourism.
In addition, the NT boasts an apprenticeship travel and accommodation subsidy scheme, and a workwear and gear bonus of up to $1000, as part of an overall $6.7m funding pool.
According to Pro Vice-Chancellor and chief executive of CDU TAFE, Mike Hamilton, about 550 apprentices are expected to cycle through the centre in its first year, part of the 2100 apprentices overall that CDU upskills each year.
“We all know that investing in apprentices is an investment in the Northern Territory,” Mr Hamilton said.
“We know that we grow them here, they’ll stay here and they’ll continue to contribute to the economy well into the future, particularly in regional remote areas.”
According to NT government figures, the labour market remains extraordinarily tight, with unemployment at 4.1 per cent and the participation rate (the percentage of working-age people in the labour force) a nation leading 73.6 per cent.
According to the National Skills Commission, there were approximately 90 per cent more online job advertisements in the NT in the March 2024 quarter compared to five years previous.
The NT government has a $4.42bn infrastructure pipeline, but if the local workforce is not matched to in-demand skills, then the pipeline will deliver a trickle, rather than a flood.
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