JobTrainer will provide an additional 340,700 training places across Australia to help school leavers and job seekers access pre-apprenticeships, short courses and full qualifications to develop new skills in growth sectors.

Courses will be free or low cost in areas of identified need, with the federal government providing $500 million, with matched contributions from state and territory governments.

It will also guarantee an extra $1.5 billion in support for apprentices, by subsidising their wages to keep them employed and their training secured. It builds on the initial $1.3 billion package announced in March.

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Gunnedah Chamber of Commerce president Juliana McArthur said the package "encourages employers to take on and employ school leavers and apprentices, so we can only welcome that initiative".

"It's the next generation of employees coming through and we need to care about that generation to make sure they're skilled and trained and can contribute to growth in our economy," Mrs McArthur said.

Namoi Valley Bricks owner and chamber member Michael Broekman said it would be "very interesting to see the detail when the package is full released", but that it was good the government was focusing on vocational skills, rather than constantly pushing university education.

"Sure there's a big percentage that have come through the school system that are suited for the academic pathway, but in saying that, there's just as many students who aren't suited for that pathway and needed support to get themselves job ready and hopefully packages like this will meet that need," he said.

"I think that as a community we now realise the value of trades.

"Even if they don't have a university degree, they play an extremely important role in our community."

In addition to small businesses already covered, the wage subsidy will now be available to medium businesses with less than 200 employees for apprentices employed as at July 1.

Around 180,000 apprentices and 90,000 small and medium businesses that employ them will now be supported, with the program extended by six months to March 2021.