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Assistance available for employers of Australian Apprentices

The Australian Government has introduced a number of initiatives to assist employers who take on an Australian Apprentice, particularly where the Australian Apprenticeship is in a trade experiencing a skills shortage. These initiatives provide financial incentives to eligible employers through the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program.

Assistance on all aspects of Australian Apprenticeships can be obtained from an Australian Apprenticeships Centre. Australian Apprenticeships Centres are contracted by the Australian Government to deliver free Australian Apprenticeships Support Services, which include providing information and assistance to employers, Australian Apprentices and other interested people, marketing and promoting Australian Apprenticeships and administering Australian Government incentive payments to employers and allowances for Australian Apprentices. To contact an Australian Apprenticeships Centre, please call the Australian Apprenticeships referral line on 13 38 73.

Please note, the Australian Apprenticeships website provides information on the incentives available from the Australian Government only. Australian Apprenticeships Centres are responsible for determining eligibility for these incentives. Other assistance and incentives may be available from your State or Territory Training Authority.

Employers of an Australian Apprentice may be eligible for financial assistance through:

Standard, Additional and Special incentives
Support for Adult Australian Apprentices
Assistance for Australian Apprentices with Disability
Support for employing an Australian School-based Apprentice
Securing Australian Apprenticeships

Eligibility for incentives under the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program may be affected by the duration of the employment relationship you have with your current employee. For more information on the eligibility of existing workers to attract incentives, please download the ‘Incentives for existing workers fact sheet’.

Standard, Additional and Special incentives

Employers of Australian Apprentices may be eligible to claim commencement and completion incentive payments of up to $4,000 for employing an Australian Apprentice at the Certificate III to Advanced Diploma level (subject to meeting the required eligibility criteria).

There is also a range of additional incentives available to employers of an Australian Apprentice including the:

Declared Drought area incentive;
Rural and Regional Skills Shortage incentive;
Innovation incentive; and
Mature Aged Worker incentive.

An employer may also be eligible for the Group Training Organisation Certificate II completion incentive where the employer is a Group Training Organisation and the Australian Apprentice has successfully completed an Australian Apprenticeship at the Certificate II level.

For more information on Standard, Additional and Special incentives, please download Employing an Australian Apprentice – A smart business decision.

Support for Adult Australian Apprentices payment initiative

The Support for Adult Australian Apprentices payment initiative provides financial support to Australian Apprentices or their employers where the Australian Apprentice is aged 25 or over at the commencement of their Australian Apprenticeship on or after 1 January 2010, and is undertaking an Australian Apprenticeship at the Certificate III or IV level in an occupation experiencing a skills shortage.

Please visit the Support for Adult Australian Apprentices page for information on this initiative.

Assistance for Australian Apprentices with Disability

Assistance for employers of Australian Apprentices with disability includes Disabled Australian Apprentice Wage Support and Assistance for Tutorial, Interpreter and Mentor Services.

Each form of assistance is intended to help Australian Apprentices with disability to reach their full potential.

For more information, download Fact Sheet 3 - Support for Australian Apprentices with disability on the Publications page.

Australian School-based Apprenticeships Incentive

Employers may be eligible for a $750 commencement incentive for employing an Australian Apprentice in an endorsed Australian School-based Apprenticeship at the Certificate II, III, IV, Diploma or Advanced Diploma level and $750 for continuing to employ the young person after the student has completed Year 12.

For more information, download Fact Sheet 11 - About Australian School-based Apprenticeships on the Publications page.

Securing Australian Apprenticeships

The Securing Australian Apprenticeships initiative provides incentives to employers to take on Australian Apprentices who wish to continue their incomplete Australian Apprenticeship, where they are not currently employed as an Australian Apprentice.

For more information, please download Fact Sheet 14 - Securing Australian Apprenticeships on the Publications page.

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