This year’s Budget includes significant investment in building Australia’s future workforce, including $1.1 billion to implement reforms for the tertiary education sector recommended in the Universities Accord. The reforms aim to drive higher levels of attainment, broaden access and support a tertiary education system that is responsive and adaptable to skills needs.
Acknowledging that workforce capacity and constraints remain a major challenge in construction, the Government will invest $88.8 million to deliver 20,000 new fee-free TAFE places including pre-apprenticeships in courses relevant to the sector.
As an interim measure while the Strategic Review of the Apprenticeship Incentive System is underway, the Government has committed to maintaining $5,000 support payments to apprentices in priority occupations for another 12 months to 1 July 2025, up from $3,000. Employers of these apprentices will also receive a $5,000 hiring incentive.
In a bid to attract more women to male-dominated sectors, the Budget includes $55.6 million for the Building Women’s Careers program. This will fund large-scale projects to help women to access training in construction, clean energy and manufacturing and support flexible, safe and inclusive workplace cultures.
In response to the Government’s recent Pathway to Diversity in STEM Review, the Budget also includes $38.2 million over eight years to support a skilled and sustainable STEM workforce.