The benefits of an apprenticeship can go both ways, for both your company and your newly appointed apprentice or trainee.
Your new Australian Apprentice can learn and develop new skills required for the trade, while also gaining much-needed experience.
The Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program offers several incentives to help employers who take on an apprentice or trainee, most particularly in trades experiencing a skills shortage.
Here is a quick guide to the current Australian Apprenticeship incentives available to employers.
Australian School-based Apprenticeship incentive
The Australian school-based apprenticeship is undertaken part-time while the apprentice or trainee is at school. This Australian Apprenticeship combines off-the-job vocational training, paid employment as an apprentice or trainee and secondary school studies.
This apprenticeship allows school students to work towards a nationally recognised qualification, while also gaining valuable industry experience and completing their senior school certificate.
Employing a school-based apprentice could make you eligible for a $750 commencement incentive and a $750 retention incentive.
Support for Adult Australian Apprentices initiative
This initiative offers financial support to an eligible Australian Apprentice or their employer, with the intention to “remove barriers” for Adult Australian Apprentices and encourage upskilling for adult workers.
Employers who are eligible for the Support for Adult Australian Apprentices initiative need to have an Australian Apprentice aged 25 years or over when they begin their apprenticeship or traineeship, with a qualification undertaken at a Certificate III or IV level leading to a job on the National Skills Needs List. There may also be other criteria that they need to meet.
Australian Apprenticeships says that the recipient of these incentive payments is determined based on the actual wage paid to the Australian Apprentice.
Disabled Australian Apprentice Wage Support
The Disabled Australian Apprentice Wage Support (DAAWS) can be paid to an employer who takes on board an apprentice or trainee that meets the disability eligibility criteria in an Australian Apprenticeship.
