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Media Centre$537 MILLION FOR INCOME SUPPORT TO NEW APPRENTICES10 May 2005 MINBUD 05/05 More Australians will be encouraged to take up a New Apprenticeship through the expansion of income support eligibility to full-time New Apprentices. The Minister for Vocational and Technical Education, Gary Hardgrave, said that for the first time, access to Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY will be extended to eligible full-time New Apprentices. From 1 July 2005, New Apprentices will be able to apply for the same income support payments that are currently available to students. Mr Hardgrave introduced the Social Security Amendment (Extension of Youth Allowance and Austudy eligibility to New Apprentices) Bill 2005 to Parliament in March 2005. "The Australian Government will provide approximately $537.3 million over the next five years for income support payments to eligible New Apprentices," Mr Hardgrave said today. "This will assist New Apprentices in the early years of their New Apprenticeship when their wages are generally at their lowest. As many as 93,000 New Apprentices could be eligible to benefit from this initiative over three years. "The Australian Government recognises that vocational education and training makes an enormous contribution to economic growth and prosperity by providing Australian businesses with the highly skilled, productive workforce they need to compete in the Australian and global markets. "In providing this level of support to New Apprentices, the Government will boost the attractions of New Apprenticeships to young people, and improve retention rates of New Apprentices." This initiative builds on the 2004-05 $2.1 billion the Government directed towards vocational education and training, ensuring that Australia’s vocational education and training system is second to none.
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