The Industry Training Federation is welcoming news that Labour will expand its ‘Dole for Apprenticeships’ scheme if elected.
Under the plan, an employer would be paid the equivalent of the dole – around $9,000 per year – to take on an unemployed person under 24 as an apprentice.
“It seems an obvious choice to use the same dollar we already spend on job seeker benefits to give young people real employment and skills,” says ITF chief executive Josh Williams.
This policy would get more people into productive paying jobs, gaining industry-relevant qualifications through apprenticeships. It would also provide a better level of support to employers while people are in the early stages of apprenticeships, and not yet fully productive.
The ITF is also welcoming the Opposition’s proposed focus on workforce skills and training, which delivers significant social and economic benefits.
“Labour’s proposal would be a great investment in the power of apprenticeships to get people on pathways to success. It will cost a lot more if we don’t,” says Williams.
