A weekly $500 wage incentive has been proposed to support businesses to take on apprentices and trainees.

Australian Apprenticeship Association CEO Ben Barden said businesses needed certainty during the pandemic, and the pay subsidy would enable them to take on a new apprentice and keep industries ticking over.

“There are about 36,000 apprentices and trainees either laid off or suspended, more people being suspended in a normal year, and a disproportionate impact on young women in trades and in traineeships,” he told Jim Wilson.

“The other thing was have seen is commencements are down by 22 per cent, and that’s a big problem for the medium and long term.”

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