October 2009     Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that the Government will invest $100 million in a new Apprentice Kickstart program to support up to 21,000 young Australians entering traditional trades this summer.

The new program comes as a result of the final Keep Australia Working Report, which included recent figures showing people starting trade apprenticeships had dropped by more than 20 per cent during the economic downturn compared to the same time last year.

To address this, the Government has fine-tuned the Jobs Fund stimulus measure to ensure that Australia continues to recruit and train apprentices in traditional trades and meets the potential skills shortage head on.

Ms Gillard joined Local Jobs Champions Lindsay Fox and Bill Kelty to announce the plan to drive pprenticeships, which is the centrepiece of the final Keep Australia Working Report.

“The Government’s Apprentice Kickstart will more than triple the first year bonus paid to employers who take on traditional trades apprentices this summer,” Ms Gillard said. “We’re boosting the commencement bonus from $1500 to $2350 and then following up with another $2500 at nine months which means employers will now receive $4,850 in the first year for taking on a traditional trade apprentice over the summer.

The Apprenticeship Kickstart will be funded from the Government’s $650 million Jobs Fund and will be available to all employers who take on a traditional trade apprentice aged between 15 and 19 years. The bonus will be available for apprentices who are hired between 1 December 2009 and 28 February 2010 or until 21,000 apprentices have commenced in traditional trades hardest hit by skills shortages identified on the National Skills Needs List. This includes trades like butchers, bakers, bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, hairdressers and pastry cooks.

Parliamentary Secretary for Employment Jason Clare said as part of the $100 million Kickstart, the Government is also providing $20 million for pre-apprenticeship proposals. “Pre-apprentices are a critical way of ensuring we get young people into trades,” Mr Clare said. “The funding will be available for proposals from states working with industry and training organisations that will increase the flow of young people into the traditional trades. “Up to 5,000 young people will be able to participate in these programs, teaching them the basics to fast-forward them into an apprenticeship.”

A copy of the report is found at Keep Australia Working

From a media release by The Hon Julia Gillard MP, October 16, 2009.

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