The government fell almost $1 billion short of budgeted spending on vocational training programs over the last five years, a gap that has persisted despite the skills crisis facing Australia.

A total $5.27 billion was budgeted for a series of apprenticeship, skills and training initiatives between 2014-15 and 2018-19 but the government spent only $4.35 billion over the period.

Employment and Skills Minister Michaelia Cash. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The $919 million under-spend is revealed in the Department of Education's annual reports for the last five years, including the newly released report for 2018-19.

Labor has seized on the figures, saying the government has "shortchanged" and starved the training sector even as Australia faces an ongoing skills shortage.