Government Funding
Government funding is available to offset the expense of employee training in some circumstances. This funding is in place to make it more cost-efficient for employers to hire apprentices and trainees. Australian government funding is available as well as funding from each state and territory. Employers who hire a trainee or apprentice may be eligible for a base funding amount of $1,375.
There are many circumstances that make employers eligible for a larger amount of government funding. There are also industry and professional organizations that provide additional funding for apprentices in specific fields. Colleges and private-sector organizations provide employers with other sources of funding for their training programs.
Australian Government Funding
To get extra funding from the Australian government for employing an apprentice or trainee, the following circumstances make employers eligible for additional funding:
• If there is an officially recognized shortage of the skill the employee is being trained for, additional funding may be provided. These supplemental incentives are often earmarked for rural employers.
• If the area has been declared a drought area, additional Australian government funding may be available for hiring apprentices during the drought.
• Training an apprentice in new and innovative industries can earn the employer extra incentive funding.
• Employing a trainee with a disability makes employers eligible for additional funding types, including wage assistance and paying others to help accommodate the disabled trainee. Up to $5,000 is available for workplace modifications for the disabled employee.
• There is extra funding for hiring a woman for an apprenticeship in a field that is traditionally male.
• Employers who train a trainee or apprentice who is a Mature Aged Worker can be eligible for extra funding.
• Hiring apprentices that are school based is another criteria for extra government funding for employers.
There are also some circumstances that make employers eligible for more incentives when hiring someone for an ongoing job. There is an incentive for up to $4,400 for hiring an Indigenous worker and additional funds for training that employee.
State and Territory Funding
Extra funding from state and territory governments is available when employers hire apprentices and trainees. Some of the programs include:
• When there is a skills shortage in the area, some state and territory programs have funding for training new employees to work in that field.
• New-field funding is available for employers who train apprentices and trainees in new fields. Each state and territory has its own incentive programs for new-field training.
• In some circumstances, employers are eligible for funds to pay for tutorial assistance, travel expenses, accommodations, mentors and interpreters for trainees and long-term employees who need them.
• Funding from each state and territory is available for businesses to purchase specific safety equipment and necessary tools.
• Each state and territory also its own programs to address the specific employment needs of that area. Local Australian Apprentice Centres have information about the needs of each area and which programs are currently offered.