Financial incentives
There are a range of financial incentives and allowances that employers of Austalian Apprentices may be eligible for. These typically relate to the apprentice or trainee you take on, or the occupation or industry you are employing them in.
Financial incentives are designed to give a boost to employers who take on an Australian Apprentice. They should not be the main aim for an employer, as these incentives and allowances come with responsibilities and obligations. Take a look at the Employer Responsibilities page for more information about this.
Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program
The Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program is run by the Australian Government. It provides a number of incentives to assist employers who take on an Australian Apprentice, particularly where the Australian Apprenticeship is in an occupation experiencing a skills shortage.
Visit the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program page on the Australian Government's website for information about the following incentives:
- Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements
- Supporting Apprentices and Trainees
- Additional Identified Skills Shortage Payment
- Support for Adult Australian Apprentices
- Assistance for Australian Apprentices with disability
- Australian Apprentice Wage Subsidy
In addition to these incentives, employers may be eligible for incentives for: commencement or recommencement of an Australian Apprentice; commencement of a mature aged worker, or Australian School-based Apprentice; retention of an Australian School-based Apprentice; or completion of their apprentice or trainee.
To find out whether you would be eligible for incentives when taking on an apprentice or trainee, speak with an Australian Apprenticeship Support Network provider.
Wage subsidies
As a response to COVID-19 and the subsequent economic downturn, the Australian Government has announced two wage subsidies: Supporting Apprentices and Trainees, and Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements. These are both administered by an Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) provider.
The Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy is designed to keep apprentices and trainees who are employed by small and medium-sized businesses in work. Employers with eligible apprentices will be contacted by their AASN provider to discuss the application process for this wage subsidy. You can find more information about this wage subsidy on our COVID-19 Information page.
The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy is open to all employers taking on a new apprentice or trainee, across all industries and occupations. There are no further eligibility requirements than those to be signed up into an Australian Apprenticeship. There are 100,000 places in this program. The AASN provider will manage the wage subsidy application as part of all new sign-ups until the program is complete. You can find more information about this wage subsidy on our Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements post.
State and Territory Incentives and Allowances
Some state and territory governments offer incentives and allowances to eligible employers of apprentices and trainees. These are typically in areas of priority within the state or territory, and may be in addition to Federal government incentives. An Australian Apprenticeship Support Network provider will be able to assist employers with information about Australian, and State or Territory incentives.