$1.5 Billion Skilling Australians Fund to be Established The {Australian} Government will establish a new Skilling Australians Fund to ensure that businesses that benefit from employing skilled migrants are also equipping Australians with the skills they need. Employers that sponsor migrants under the new temporary skill shortage visa and certain permanent skilled visas will be required to pay a levy which will provide revenue to the Fund. Through the Skilling Australians Fund, an estimated $1.5 billion will be provided over the first four years to underpin a new partnership with State and Territory Governments to train Australians, with spending prioritised towards apprenticeships and traineeships. The Fund, when matched with State and Territory funding, will support up to 300,000 apprentices, trainees, pre-apprentices and higher level skilled Australians. Source: Extract from the Australian Budget 2017-18 Janine McPhee Andrew Sezonov Mark Mallia Nathan Ellery …see more