The Australian Government provides eligible businesses with financial Incentives for the
- skills training of new staff
- skills training of existing staff
- employment of Australian Apprentices.
Financial Incentives for training staff and for employing apprentices or trainees
The Australian Government provides a variety of financial Incentives for eligible employers and Australian Apprentices. These Incentives can change from time to time and eligibility criteria applies in order to receive them. MEGT Australian Apprenticeships Centre staff are able to advise which Incentives are relevant to your industry and business and for which you are eligible.
There is no charge involved in gaining advice from MEGT Australian Apprenticeships Centre as it is a government funded service.
State and Federal governments also provide other financial Incentives as an encouragement to employ Australian Apprentices. This funding varies depending on market needs to stimulate the economy. MEGT Australian Apprenticeships Centre staff will advise you of funding for which you may be eligible.
Click here to see a summary of Australian Government Employer Incentives.
Incentives for training new staff
If you directly employ an Australian Apprentice, your business may be eligible for government financial incentives. MEGT Australian Apprenticeships Centres facilitate those payments.
There are standard Incentives of up to $4,000 and a range of additional Incentives for eligible employers.
The Commonwealth and State Governments provide a range of financial incentives to assist employers train their staff through the Australian Apprenticeships program. The State Government will pay for the bulk of the training costs for your apprentice or trainee as long as they are a new employee to your business.
Eligibility for the financial incentives depends on a range of factors that need to be assessed.
MEGT’s Australian Apprenticeships Centre staff can help determine whether you and your apprentice or trainee are eligible. We can assist you in completing your claim application forms and will arrange payment of your Government incentives.
For existing staff
Current employees can access training and financial incentives in certain circumstances.
Your MEGT Australian Apprenticeships Centre Consultant will be able to advise you on the eligibility criteria for your existing staff. Click here to find out more about the government’s Skills for the Future initiative.
Productivity Places Program:
As part of its Skilling Australia for the future initiative, the government recognises the importance of nationally endorsed training in assisting job seekers or existing staff to acquire skills and gain lasting employment and assisting existing workers to update or upgrade their skills.
The government has allocated 645 000 training places over five years to ensure that Australians develop the skills that industry needs. The training places will be delivered in an industry-driven system, ensuring that training is more responsive to the needs of enterprises and individuals.
In 2009, the existing workers component of the Productivity Places Program will be rolled out fully, with a great deal of interest being shown by workers looking to increase their skill levels.
392,000 training places allocated to existing workers wanting to gain or upgrade their skills
319,000 (including 20,000 structural adjustment places) allocated to job seekers
Up to 10,000 existing worker places have already been made available from August 2008 to December 2010 through Memoranda of Understanding with every State and Territory. These will be greatly enhanced through the delivery of places under the National Partnership Agreement signed at COAG in November 2008.
10 000 places for the Targeted Productivity Places Program (TPPP) for newly retrenched workers at the Certificate III level and Certificate IV level commencing 1 July 2009.
The TPPP builds on the 10,000 Structural Adjustment places available in 2008/2009 for retrenched workers.
Further assistance for jobseekers to improve their skills was announced as part of the $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Package.
The Learning and Training Bonus effectively increases the Education Entry Payment, an incentive payment aimed at getting people the skills they need to get back into work, from $208 to $1158.
Taxation benefits for skills training
Please visit http://www.ato.gov.au/businesses/content.asp?doc=/content/19898.htm&page=1#P25_2225 for information on Taxation assistance for skills training.