Eligible apprentice tradies will receive free car registration if Labor is re-elected later this month.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced the $9.7 million package at the Gordon in Geelong on Tuesday.
Mr Andrews also announced the establishment of an apprenticeships taskforce to improve safety and fairness for apprentices as they get started in their careers and a parliamentary inquiry to crack down on bosses and contractors who refuse to pay their sub-contractors for completed works.
Bricklayers, carpenters, joiners, electricians, plumbers and chefs are among the Victorian apprentices expected to be eligible for fully free rego, if their employer can verify that the use of their vehicle is an essential part of their work.
Apprentices who need their car for work are currently entitled to a 50 per cent discount on their registration that saves them $432 per year – this change would make it free, a saving of up to $865 per year.
“Apprentices are the lifeblood of our Big Build – working hard to deliver the road, rail, schools and hospitals Victorians need. And they deserve a government that backs them,” Premier Andrews said.
“We know too many tradies are experiencing wage theft or losing too much time chasing late payments for jobs. It’s unacceptable and Labor will do something about it – because only Labor is doing what matters.”
The apprenticeships taskforce will be co-designed and include workers, unions and industry to ensure the lived experiences of apprentices are at the heart of its work.
The taskforce will report directly to the Minister for Training and Skills and the Minister for Industrial Relations and outcomes will be delivered in partnership with unions and industry, including legislation if necessary.
