More than 800 Tasmanians have kickstarted their pathway to a trade, and with it a good, secure career for their future, backed in by the Albanese Labor Government's $10,000 incentives for new housing construction apprentices.
In the first 13 months of the Key Apprenticeship Program, 801 Tasmanians joined the program, signing up as new apprentices in the housing construction sector and growing the skills pipeline to help build more homes for Tasmanians.
Supported by 453 employers across the state, the apprentices will receive five $2,000 incentive payments over the life of their apprenticeship to help with costs such as tools and transport, while also supporting apprentices to stick with their apprenticeship through to completion.
Chippies are proving to be the most popular occupations in Tasmania, with 347 apprentice commencements in the program, followed by plumbers (122 commencements) and glaziers, plasterers and tilers (77 commencements).
More than half of apprentices are aged 19 or under, showing strong interest from young Tasmanians in building a career in the trades.
The industry is also seeing a greater diversity of apprentices starting in critical, home-building trades, with 42 female apprentices backed through the program so far. At 5%, this represents a promising start in growing the number of women in the industry, which more broadly sees around 3% of women working on the tools.
Employers also benefit through the program, receiving $5,000 in the first year of the apprenticeship. Around 90% of these employers are small and medium-sized businesses.
The Albanese Government is continuing to back apprentices and employers through the Key Apprenticeship Program, with the 2026-27 Budget locking in the program until 2029, including targeted incentives from 2027 for small and medium-sized businesses and Group Training Organisations.
Visit www.apprenticeships.gov.au to learn more about the program.
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister White, MP for Lyons:
"We need more homes in Tasmania and to build them we need more tradies, which is why our Government is focused on growing the pipeline of skilled workers we need.
"It is fantastic to see more than 800 Tasmanians taking up an apprenticeship, including so many young people choosing a trade and building the skills for a good, secure career.
"These incentives help with the real costs of starting an apprenticeship, like buying tools and getting to and from work, while also supporting the local businesses that employ and train our next generation of tradies.
"Through the Key Apprenticeship Program and Free TAFE, we're backing aspiring tradies throughout their journey into the industry and beyond."
