The state's peak business organisation, Business NSW, commends the Federal Government for increasing funding for existing apprentices, but says more still needs to be done to encourage employers to take on new apprentices.
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The extension of the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy is in line with strong recommendations we made in our Skilling Australia for a better future: Supporting apprenticeships through Covid-19 report released last week.
Businesses will be heartened by the ongoing support for apprentices beyond 30 September, which was looming large as an economic cliff.
On the down side, it is disappointing that there has been no announced increase in support for those wanting to commence an apprenticeship. However, we remain hopeful that there will be additional announcements down the track to support employers who want to take on new starters.
This is an important regional issue. As across the New England region, we estimate there will be a 36 per cent drop of approximately 500 less apprentices in 2020 compared to 2019.
These are jobs which provide opportunities for our young people to stay local.
The nation is still at risk of significant skills shortages in 3-4 years' time without new starters coming on board. But the Government has shown it is serious about taking steps to address this issue now, and we commend them for it.
As part of the JobTrainer package, the National Skills Commission will need to ensure that the short courses being offered support people into employment or at least dramatically increase their changes of employment.
At the top of Business NSW's agenda has been the availability of proper funding to train people for the jobs of the future and to close the skills gap.
We look forward to working with Government of all levels to identify the types of short courses needed.
- Joe Townsend is the Business NSW Regional Manager
