Apprentices commenced in essential housing construction vocations including carpenters, plumbers, electricians, glaziers and painters. The program provides apprentices with up to AUD $10,000 in financial support to help them complete their apprenticeships, with milestone payments of $2,000 at six, 12, 24 and 36 months, as well as upon completion.

The most popular commencements were in critical housing construction trades, with more than 1,700 carpenters and joiners, more than 940 plumbers, and more than 660 electrical trades workers. Regional communities accounted for almost one third of commencements, with nearly 1,500 apprentices. The Key Apprenticeship Program expanded from the government's New Energy Apprenticeship Program, which commenced in 2023.

The New Energy program provided $95.6 million over nine years to support 10,000 apprenticeships in clean energy occupations. In July 2025, the government broadened this initiative into the Key Apprenticeship Program with two dedicated streams: the New Energy Apprenticeship stream and the Housing Construction Apprenticeship stream. The expansion supports the government's Homes for Australia Plan, which targets 1.2 million new homes over five years.

[1] https://www.miragenews.com/more-construction-apprentices-to-build-more-1555966/

[2] https://www.energy.gov.au/news/new-energy-apprenticeships-power-australias-path-net-zero

[3] https://ministers.dewr.gov.au/rishworth/apprentice-support-key-sectors-extended