Budget 2021: Green energy ­pledge on apprentice skills

Anthony Albanese has vowed to spend $100m on green energy ­apprenticeships if he becomes prime minister in a bid to encourage more young people into low emission industries.

An Albanese government would commit $10m on skills training for green energy industries under a New Energy Skills Program. Picture: Chris Russell

Anthony Albanese has vowed to spend $100m on green energy ­apprenticeships if he becomes prime minister in a bid to encourage more young people into low emission industries.

Under the policy, apprentices who train in green industries will receive up to $10,000, with $2000 to be provided on commencement and $2000 each year for four years.

Eligible industries include rooftop solar installation and maintenance, large-scale renewable projects, energy efficiency upgrades to buildings, green ­hydrogen and renewable manufacturing.

An Albanese government would also commit $10m on skills training for green energy industries under a New Energy Skills Program.

In his budget reply speech, Mr Albanese said taking action on climate change would “create jobs, lower energy prices and lower emissions”.

“And Labor has a plan to help families and communities play their part in achieving this critical target, a plan that will make electric cars more affordable and support the rollout of community batteries,” he said.

“A Labor government will create a new energy apprenticeships program to train 10,000 young people for the ­energy jobs of the future.”

At an online address to the Smart Energy Conference on Thursday, opposition climate change spokesman Chris Bowen said the budget was a missed ­opportunity to take action on ­climate change.

“Australia is one of the best endowed countries in the world to take advantage of a new energy future, and we know all too well from the last 18 months Australia’s significant exposure to climate risk, yet this budget does nothing to address either,” he said.

The budget allocated $1.6bn to low-emission technologies, with most of the measures being announced before Tuesday night.

Mr Bowen said Australia had for too long been “dogged by the most toxic rhetoric around climate and energy”.

“It centres on the falsehood that any action on climate change comes at an economic cost and a cost to jobs,” Mr Bowen said.