New Apprenticeship Kickstart Program
The Building and Construction Industry will benefit from the New Apprenticeship Kickstart Program.
An extra $100 million will be invested by the Australian Government in a new Apprentice Kickstart program to support up to 21,000 young Australians entering traditional trades this summer. That’s good news for the building and construction industry as it means more trained and skilled workers who are very much in need.
The new program was announced recently by the Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and has been welcomed by industry groups such as the Housing Industry Association (HIA), Australian Constructors Association (ACA) and Master Builders.
For more details and comments there is a good article at the Qld Business Review site.
In summary, the investment has come about from the Keep Australia Working Report, which revealed the number of people starting trade apprenticeships has declined by more than 20 percent during the past twelve months compared to the same period last year. Clearly the economic conditions have taken their toll.
“The Government’s Apprentice Kickstart will more than triple the first year bonus paid to employers who take on traditional trades apprentices this summer,” Gillard says.
“We’re boosting the commencement bonus from $1,500 to $2,350 and then following up with another $2,500 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,” she says.
Apprentice Kickstart will be paid for as part of funding secured by both the Greens and Senator Fielding as part of the Government’s economic stimulus package.
There is a bonus program available to employers when the place apprentices who are hired between December 1 and February 28, 2010, or until the 21,000 target for apprentices have commenced in traditional trades that have been hard hit by skills shortages identified on the National Skills Needs List.
This includes trades such as butchers, bakers, bricklayers, carpenters, electricians, hairdressers and pastry cooks.
The importance of ongoing training and skills development in the building and construction industry cannot be understated and it is paramount that the government put mechanisms in place that allow for this ongoing development.
Filed Under: Industry Training • Trade Administration
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