The Morrison Government's Budget is securing Western Sydney's economic recovery by protecting jobs today, and making it easier for locals to get a job or for local businesses to hire someone tomorrow.
Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Stuart Robert, joined Melissa McIntosh, the Federal Member for Lindsay, to meet with business leaders from Penrith and across Western Sydney as well as sitting down with workers, trainees and apprentices to talk about how the Federal Budget will drive jobs and skills.
Minister Robert and Ms McIntosh were joined by the New South Wales Minister Skills and Tertiary Education Dr Geoff Lee MP to tour the Greater Western Sydney Careers Market being held during National Careers Week.
The Federal Budget guarantees around 76,100 taxpayers in Lindsay will keep more of what they earn benefiting from tax relief of up to $2,745 this year. The Morrison Government's Tax Plan has already benefited 82,400 residents across Lindsay - getting more of taxpayers' own money out of government hands in Canberra and back into the local community.
The Morrison Government is expanding its $1 billion JobTrainer Fund, to continue the delivery of low fee or free training places in areas of skills need. JobTrainer will help ensure Australians can access critical skills and support more than 450,000 new places to upskill job seekers and young people across the country. To date the government has supported over 114,600 people reskill through JobTrainer funded courses with women making up 56 per cent of enrolments.
The Federal Budget is also extending the highly successful Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy for a further six months to support new apprentices and trainees who commence by 31 March 2022. The $2.7 billion investment is supporting the employment of newly commencing apprentices and trainees, assisting school leavers and job seekers during the peak hiring period for key industries. To date over 141,000 apprentices have been supported through this program. With an existing cohort of 2,285 apprentices in Lindsay the new measures will lead to more opportunities for apprentices and trainees in Penrith and across Western Sydney.
The Morrison Government is also backing in small businesses in Lindsay through continuing tax incentives that will allow around 15,800 businesses in the electorate to write off the full value of any eligible asset they purchase.
Additionally, around 6,500 businesses across Lindsay will be able to use the extended loss carry back measure to support cash flow and confidence. This has helped businesses invest more in the local economy and to create local jobs. The tax-free Cashflow boost has helped around 5,200 small and medium businesses providing $229 million in payments to help businesses in Lindsay to stay afloat.
Minister Robert said the Federal Budget outlined the Morrison Government's economic plan to back jobs for Australians in Penrith and across Western Sydney and secure our economic recovery.
'We recognise that Penrith and Western Sydney more broadly was hit hard by the COVID Recession so the Morrison Government was there with JobKeeper supporting 5,800 local businesses and 26,500 workers. We kept those workers connected to their jobs and now we are well on the road to recovery' he said.
'At the end of the day we want to ensure every single person in Penrith and Western Sydney has the opportunity to get into a job, skill up for the next job or indeed hire someone in their business - because when Western Sydney is strong so too is Australia'.
Federal Member for Lindsay, Melissa McIntosh said the Budget would create the jobs of the future for local people.
'The Greater Western Sydney Careers Market is here showcasing many of the opportunities on offer for people in our community. We're going further on our investment to support apprentices and trainees to back in the next generation of our workforce,' said Ms McIntosh.
'We're supporting local businesses to do what they do best, and create more local jobs. The Morrison Government recognises the potential for Western Sydney, and that's why we're driving these investments to make our community an even better place to live, work and stay.
'I've been backing local businesses throughout the pandemic, and now we're helping them to emerge stronger and more resilient on the other side.'
