Interview — The Today Show with Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon

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Karl Stefanovic: 
Over 230,000 Australians have enrolled to take part in the Federal Government's JobTrainer initiative program offering free and low-cost courses to those left unemployed by the pandemic.

Allison Langdon:
For more, we're joined by Federal Minister for Employment Stuart Robert in Canberra. Minister thanks for your time this morning. How worried are you about employment levels, given what's happening in New South Wales and Victoria?

Minister Robert: 
We saw the last job figures come out surprisingly they went down but that's got more to do with participation. The key thing is to make sure we come out strongly, there's never been a better time than now for Australians to get skilled either through new skills, or to brush up on existing ones.

Karl Stefanovic: 
The issue is going to be that rate is obviously going to increase. Are there enough jobs to go around once people finish this training, and where exactly will they be? 

Minister Robert: 
Yeah Karl I think so. The Internet Vacancy Index tells you there's over a quarter of a million jobs going and we've seen unemployment come screaming down. With 130,000 more Australians employed now, and then before COVID started which is pleasing, and the key growth area is in tech, and of course in the caring industry unless you are in the Northern Territory, it's about baristas and traffic sign holders, I kid you not.

Karl Stefanovic: 
You will obviously see these numbers the unemployed numbers lift though surely given what's happening in New South Wales, Victoria, surely that's going to happen.

Minister Robert: 
They are certainly jumping around. In the last month we've seen unemployment dropped from 4.9 down to 4.6 but that's got a lot to do with a drop in the participation rate so it's going to be all over the place, for the next few months. 
The key thing for Australians, now's a great time to get a skill. $6.4 billion we’re putting into training Australians in preparation for what we know will be a strong economy coming back. 

Allison Langdon:
But I mean if you just look at the scenario we find ourselves in this year. Last year, everyone felt was difficult, this year, particularly without JobKeeper it is even tougher for businesses you must be hearing that from them.

Minister Robert: 
Absolutely, and that's why you're starting to see the mass Commonwealth support for small businesses coming out and of course the individual support at $750 and $450 for Australians. 

But it's also while we've got a National Plan, it's also why we've agreed with states and territories, what we'll do in Phase B at 70% in Phase C at 80% vaccination rates. So, Australians can have a degree of certainty about what comes next.

Karl Stefanovic: 
Josh Frydenberg said last week that once we hit 70 or 80% of vaccinations that the federal entitlements will be removed. When do you think that will happen? 

Minister Robert: 
The numbers on vaccinations vary from states and territories, but we're looking sort of October, November, December, they're the sort of timeframes being thrown around as we start to move vaccinations towards 70% or 80%. You've seen record numbers Karl, 310,000 Australians vaccinated on Friday, 8600 plus different vaccination sites, including 2500 or so pharmacies and chemists. 

So, the key message for Australians, go and get vaccinated, the quicker we get our vaccination numbers up, the quicker we move to subsequent areas of the Plan.

Allison Langdon:
I'm just not sure you've got consensus from the states anymore when you hit that 70% point.

Minister Robert:
All the states and territories have signed up. It's a national plan, and importantly it’s a national plan with the Australian people in that respect. Not just between the Commonwealth and the states, but between governments and the people of Australia to say, ‘here is our way out of this’. 

Because Australians need to know what the next steps are. They need to have hope, and they need a degree of certainty and that's the beauty of the National Plan. 

Karl Stefanovic: 
So, have they signed up for 70% or 80%?

Minister Robert:
70% to move to Phase B and of course, 80% to move to Phase C, and the National Plan is available for all Australians, just go to pm.gov.au and you can see it there.

Karl Stefanovic: 
Okay as long as they hold their word and their signatures. Thank you for your time today on this Monday morning.