Multi-billion JobTrainer scheme to help school leavers and unemployed

The Federal Government will today unveil a multi-billion dollar plan to help retrain Australians for high-demand jobs during the COVID-19 crisis.

The $2.5 billion JobTrainer program will give school leavers and those struggling to find work the opportunity to complete short courses for free or at low cost.

The government will fund more than 340,000 training places across sectors it will identify as being crucial in the months ahead as the economy recovers from the pandemic.

Courses will be offered in areas of high demand including healthcare, social work, manufacturing and trade.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash told Today the JobTrainer scheme will help create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

"It will assist apprentices and trainees across Australia to remain in their jobs but it will also ensure that we are creating hundreds of thousands of additional training places working with the states and territories in areas of great need," Ms Cash said.

Senator Cash said the scheme could be up and running within months and JobTrainer was aimed at creating high-demand roles.

"We want it to commence in September - October of this year. We already know where some of the areas of demand are…you could be doing a short course in October of this year at almost a low cost or no cost and going straight into a job," he said.

"Training must be linked to jobs. That is the government's focus."

Ms Cash also said the JobKeeper wage subsidy is keeping about 85,000 apprentices in training and it is hoped to extend that to up to 180,000 apprentices and trainees for a further six months.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg will give an update on the state of the economy next Thursday and is expected to outline assistance measures for Victorian businesses forced to close down for a second time this year amid the state's COVID-19 resurgence.

You can  get up-to-date information from the Federal Government's Coronavirus Australia app, available on the App Store, Google Play and the Government's WhatsApp channel.

Beyond Blue's Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service is a 24/7 service free of charge to all Australians. Visit the site here [ Hyperlink to coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au] or call 1800512348

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