A Foley Labor Government will provide up to $500 in tool and clothing allowances as well as half price registrations for apprentices in Lane Cove to help ease cost of living pressures.

Apprentices are at the core of our trade workforce, which is why Labor wants to see more young people starting and completing apprenticeships. We should be making life easier for apprentices, not harder.

Unfortunately the Baird Liberal Government has hit apprentices with higher TAFE course fees, while the Abbott Government in Canberra has axed the allowance that helped apprentices and tradies buy tools.

Labor’s plan to give our apprentices a helping hand includes:

1. Establishing the NSW Tools for Your Trade program – providing up to $500 in tools and clothing allowances for every apprentice tradie
2. Halving the cost of car rego – saving apprentices up to $250
3. Requiring apprenticeship ratios on NSW Government construction projects  –  15 per cent of work on NSW Government construction projects valued over $500,000 will be allocated for trainees, apprentices, Indigenous Australians and the long-term unemployed  
4. Reversing the Baird Government’s massive TAFE course fee hikes – reducing course costs for apprentices by up to $900

Quotes attributable to Andrew Zbik Labor Candidate for Lane Cove:

“Labor’s financial support for apprentices will put more money in the pockets of many young tradies in Lane Cove – ensuring a fair go for tradies just starting their careers.”

“A Foley Labor Government will harness the Government’s procurement power with new apprentice ratios on major construction projects – this plan will be of great benefit to apprentices in Lane Cove.”

“The Liberals’ massive TAFE fee hikes have put many courses out of reach for young people in Lane Cove.”

“I’m proud that Labor will reverse the Liberals’ TAFE fee hikes and invest in our vocational education and training system to address the skills and jobs challenge of the future.”

Key Facts

• Labor’s Tools for Your Trade program will commence from 1 January 2016 and offer up to $500 in rebates for apprentices who complete their trade - $250 at the beginning and $250 at the completion of their training.
• A Labor Government will invest $22.7 million to introduce the Tools for Your Trade program.
• The Abbott Government dumped assistance for apprentices in its cruel and devastating Federal budget that cut $1 billion in assistance to apprentices nationwide.
• NSW 1^st and 2^nd year apprentices are already eligible for a $100 discount on car registration. Labor will increase the rebate to cover half the actual cost of registration and expand the eligibility criteria to cover all apprentices.
• Labor will introduce the expanded rego rebate from 1 January 2016.
• Mike Baird’s massive TAFE course fee increases mean, for instance, that a Certificate III Hairdressing apprentice will now pay $2000, an increase of $988.