Regional apprentices keen on $10,000 incentives for new housing construction trades

New data has found that regional Australian communities are among those benefitting from a growing pipeline of housing construction apprentices, who are receiving direct backing from the Albanese Government to help build more homes in regional Australia.

In the 14 months since the Government launched the Key Apprenticeship Program – which provides $10,000 in incentive payments for new apprentices in housing construction trades, split into five payments over the course of the apprenticeship – 11,918 new apprentices have had their start in these trades across regional Australia.

This represents over 30 per cent of overall take up of the housing construction stream of the program, which also provides the employer of the apprentice – around 85 per cent of which are a small business – incentive payments as well.

Carpentry and joinery apprenticeships are the most popular commencements in the housing stream for regional Australia at 40 per cent, followed by plumbing (18 per cent) and electrical trades (13 per cent).

Regional New South Wales has seen 3,360 housing construction apprenticeship commencements in the program so far, alongside 3,220 from regional Queensland and 3,010 from regional Victoria.

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 Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles:

“We need to build more homes – including in regional Australia. The best way we can do that is by getting more Australians on the tools learning a trade.

“That’s why we’ve introduced the $10,000 incentives through the Key Apprenticeship Program. It’s real, targeted support to help new apprentices start and most importantly stick with their apprenticeship to the end.

“Whether it’s buying the tools they need to succeed, saving up for a work ute or something else, our Government’s incentives are backing Australian apprentices in the housing construction sector.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters:

“I want every young person across the Bendigo Electorate to be supported to get the education or training they want. 

“It’s great to see that in 14 months over 3,000 regional Victorians decided to pick up the tools and are accessing our Government’s incentives.

“I’ll keep advocating for our community to get the support we need to grow our local workforce and to give local building trades apprentices the best possible start.”