PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS
Ms ROBERTS (Pearce) (13:03): The incorporated speech read as follows— I would like to support this motion recognising the Albanese Labor government's Key Apprenticeship Program and its important contribution to building Australia's skilled workforce. The program is already delivering results. In its first 12 months, it has attracted more than 30,000 apprentices into training, giving young Australians the opportunity to begin a career in the trades while receiving practical financial support along the way.
This is exactly the kind of targeted investment Australia needs. Across Pearce and communities around the country, families want their children to have secure and rewarding careers. Local businesses want access to skilled workers.
And Australia needs more people trained in the occupations that will help us build more homes, deliver the clean energy transition and strengthen our economy. The Key Apprenticeship Program helps meet all three of those needs. Under the program, eligible full-time apprentices can receive up to $10,000 over the course of their apprenticeship.
The payments are made at important milestones—at six, 12, 24 and 36 months and on completion. Part-time apprentices can receive up to $5,000. That structure matters.
Starting an apprenticeship is a significant commitment. An apprentice needs to purchase tools, travel to work and training, manage living expenses and often accept a lower income while developing their skills. The costs can be particularly challenging during the first year.
Providing support at regular stages helps apprentices manage those costs. Just as importantly, it provides an incentive to stay the course. An apprenticeship is not completed on the day someone signs up.
It requires persistence, practical learning and the support of employers, trainers, colleagues and families. By providing payments throughout the apprenticeship journey, the program is designed to support apprentices not only to begin but to reach the finish line. The most popular occupations under the program include carpentry, plumbing and electrical trades.
These are precisely the skills Australia needs as we work to increase housing supply and make sure new homes can be built more quickly. Every new home requires skilled workers. Carpenters, plumbers and electricians are essential to the construction process.
Without enough qualified tradespeople, housing projects face delays, costs increase and communities wait longer for the homes they need. That is why the housing construction stream of the Key Apprenticeship Program is so important. It is targeted support, directed towards industries where the need is greatest.
This is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It is a considered response to the national shortage of skilled workers and the urgent need to build more housing. The program also supports employers.
Eligible employers can receive incentives of up to $5,000 for taking on apprentices in priority occupations, helping offset some of the costs associated with recruitment, supervision and training. Small businesses play a critical role in training the next generation of tradies. Many apprentices learn their skills in small construction firms, plumbing businesses, electrical contractors and family owned enterprises.
Supporting those employers makes it easier for them to offer opportunities to new apprentices. This is an investment in people, but it is also an investment in local businesses and local communities. The Albanese Labor government has backed this program for the long term, with the budget locking in incentive settings for both apprentices and employers until 2029.
That certainty matters. Apprentices need confidence that support will be available throughout their training. Employers need certainty when planning their workforce and taking on new trainees.
It is disappointing that, despite having multiple opportunities to clarify their position, neither the opposition nor One Nation has made clear whether they support this program. The shadow minister for skills and training has described the program as 'wrong' and as 'throwing good money after bad money'. But what is wrong about helping Australians gain valuable skills?
What is wrong about supporting employers to train new workers? And what is wrong about investing in the trades that will help build the homes Australians need? The alternative is not cost-free.
Fewer apprentices means fewer qualified workers. That means greater pressure on existing tradespeople, more delays in construction and less capacity to deliver housing. The Albanese Labor government is choosing to invest in apprentices, employers and Australia's future.
For young Australians considering a career in carpentry, plumbing or electrical work, this program provides more than a payment; it provides encouragement, stability and a genuine pathway to a skilled and secure career. For employers, it provides practical assistance to take on the workers they need. And, for the broader community, it helps build the skilled workforce required to construct more homes and support a growing economy.
The Key Apprenticeship Program is targeted, practical and already delivering results. I commend the government for backing it and I commend the motion to the House.