Labor is for Jobs
Supporting Australian jobs has been Labor's top priority through the Global Financial Crisis, with around 900,000 jobs created since we came to office in 2007 compared to the 28 million added to unemployment queues around the world over the same period.
Nearly one million Australians work in manufacturing, but a high Australian dollar and increasing international competition is putting pressure on Australian jobs.
Labor has worked hand-in-hand with workers and industry to develop an Aussie Jobs Package that supports manufacturing, helps businesses grow and puts Australian jobs first.
Labor's New Car Plan is investing in the Australian automotive industry that directly employs around 50,000 people and supports around another 200,000 jobs.
Every Australian deserves the dignity of having a job, and Job Services Australia has found work for around 1.5 million Australians since it commenced in 2009.
The introduction of the Disability Employment Service by Labor has resulted in a 46 per cent increase in the number of disabled people being helped into a job.
Labor is investing a record $9 billion over the next four years in skills and training like TAFE in the face of savage cuts by Liberal state governments, because quality education and training is the key to a better job, a better career and a better pay packet.
Australia needs more skilled workers – more plumbers, more electricians, more carpenters, more fitters and turners - and Labor is helping up to 21000 Australians to access an apprenticeship by the end of April through the Kickstart Initiative.
Under Labor every senior high school student in Australia will have access to a Trade Training Centre by 2018. This will give students access to industry-standard equipment and vocational education, offering a quality pathway into a trade or vocation and help address national skills shortages in traditional trades and emerging industries.