Australia set to extend programme to train and reskill workforce
- Claire Lee
The Australian government is set to extend its JobTrainer programme for another 12 months, offering free or low-fee courses to equip them for work in areas of need, such as aged care, IT and childcare, reports ABC news.
The A$1 billion (US$0.78 billion) plan will target young Australians, school leavers, and the unemployed. JobTrainer was designed for 17 to 24-year-olds and the unemployed, and was initially slated to expire in September.
“JobTrainer has been a very successful programme — more than 100,000 places already and that is helping equip people with the skills they need to find the work that they need,” said Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in an interview with ABC news.
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“Let’s not also forget our wage subsidy for apprenticeships. We put in place a wage subsidy to support 100,000 apprentices thinking it will take 12 months or longer for them to get into work. We did that in five months, and we topped up that apprentice wage subsidy scheme.”
He also revealed that an existing apprenticeship programme may also be expanded, given its faster-than-anticipated take-up rate.
