Mr BURKE - 2005-10-11
I previously asked about the incentives for apprentices; however, my question today has a slightly different focus. In both the 2001 and 2005 elections, the Martin government promised to provide incentives to employers of apprentices and trainees. Can the minister advise the House on the allocation of these incentives and the take-up of them?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. I am always delighted to be on my feet talking about young Territorians’ employment, training and skilling in this Assembly.
In 2001, and again in 2005, this government committed very strongly to training and building the skills of Territorians in our work force to make it a more highly-skilled work force, getting more people into training, more people already in the work force upskilling on their current levels, and more people into apprenticeships and traineeships across the board.
We introduced the first ever Jobs Plan, after I stood in this House for 10-and-a-bit years calling on the previous government to introduce a jobs plan. ‘Did not need one’, they said, despite the fact that we were going out the door backwards through some of those years of opposition. We then followed it up with Jobs Plan 2, backing those commitments through strong funding, support for VET delivery, support for VET in Schools and initiatives such as Build Skills, Work Ready and the employer and employee incentives – the subject of this question.
In 2005, we made an election commitment to support 10 000 apprentices and trainees in training over the next four years. Since July 2005, when the first apprentices and trainees became eligible for the Workwear/Workgear Bonus to 26 September this year, 62 apprentices and trainees have become eligible and taken up the $1000 skills shortage Workwear/Workgear Bonus. One hundred and eight apprentices and trainees in other areas have become eligible for, and taken up, the $300 bonus available there.
Round three of the employer incentives has been open for just a few months. All 75 of the $7000 skills shortage trades employer incentives in this third round have been allocated. The next round of skills shortage trades employer incentives will be allocated in late 2005. Fifty-eight small business employer incentives have been allocated in this current round. There are still some small business employer incentives available for eligible small businesses. Since the first round of employer small business, local government and skill shortage incentives were introduced, a total of 486 have been taken up across the Northern Territory.
Inroads have been made but there is much more to be done. We still have a struggle out there in the labour market for skills - not just skills, but for semi-skilled and, indeed, unskilled people right across the board. We are going to keep working closely with industry and business to build on those efforts to date.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Brennan for his question. I am always delighted to be on my feet talking about young Territorians’ employment, training and skilling in this Assembly.
In 2001, and again in 2005, this government committed very strongly to training and building the skills of Territorians in our work force to make it a more highly-skilled work force, getting more people into training, more people already in the work force upskilling on their current levels, and more people into apprenticeships and traineeships across the board.
We introduced the first ever Jobs Plan, after I stood in this House for 10-and-a-bit years calling on the previous government to introduce a jobs plan. ‘Did not need one’, they said, despite the fact that we were going out the door backwards through some of those years of opposition. We then followed it up with Jobs Plan 2, backing those commitments through strong funding, support for VET delivery, support for VET in Schools and initiatives such as Build Skills, Work Ready and the employer and employee incentives – the subject of this question.
In 2005, we made an election commitment to support 10 000 apprentices and trainees in training over the next four years. Since July 2005, when the first apprentices and trainees became eligible for the Workwear/Workgear Bonus to 26 September this year, 62 apprentices and trainees have become eligible and taken up the $1000 skills shortage Workwear/Workgear Bonus. One hundred and eight apprentices and trainees in other areas have become eligible for, and taken up, the $300 bonus available there.
Round three of the employer incentives has been open for just a few months. All 75 of the $7000 skills shortage trades employer incentives in this third round have been allocated. The next round of skills shortage trades employer incentives will be allocated in late 2005. Fifty-eight small business employer incentives have been allocated in this current round. There are still some small business employer incentives available for eligible small businesses. Since the first round of employer small business, local government and skill shortage incentives were introduced, a total of 486 have been taken up across the Northern Territory.
Inroads have been made but there is much more to be done. We still have a struggle out there in the labour market for skills - not just skills, but for semi-skilled and, indeed, unskilled people right across the board. We are going to keep working closely with industry and business to build on those efforts to date.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016