Supporting small businesses with apprenticeships and traineeships - up to $4,000 available for each apprentice or trainee

11 July, 2017

The Small Business Grants to Support Apprentices and Trainees Program is a new Tasmanian Government grant scheme. The Program offers subsidies to employers to make it easier for small businesses in Tasmania to put on an apprentice or trainee.


Under the Program, eligible employers can apply for a subsidy of up to $4,000 for each apprentice or trainee they employ from 1 July 2017 onwards. As long as you are not eligible to claim the Payroll Tax Rebate (Apprentices, Trainees and Youth Employees) you may apply for the following:

  For each new full-time apprentice or trainee For each new part-time apprentice or trainee
Payable 6 months after Training Contract commencement date $2,000 $1,000
Payable 12 months after Training Contract commencement date $2,000 $1,000

Further support for small business

If you are a small business with less than 20 employees, you may also be able to access practical assistance to employ an apprentice or trainee, customised to your needs, including:

  • Assistance with obtaining business advice
  • Support to recruit the right person for the business
  • Planning the apprentice’s or trainee’s job role and workplace training requirements, and
  • Mentoring and advice for the small business and apprentice or trainee

The best bit? When you sign up an apprentice or trainee, you may also be eligible for further Government incentives.


Eligibility requirements

To claim a grant under the Program, the following eligibility criteria apply:*

  • The apprentice or trainee must have a training contract start date of 1 July 2017 or after
  • The apprentice or trainee must be classified as a new worker on the Training Contract
  • The employer must not be eligible to claim the Payroll Tax Rebate (Apprentices, Trainees and Youth Employees) administered by the State Revenue Office
  • Where the employee is employed by a Group Training Organisation (GTO) and hosted to an employer, the GTO is considered the employer for the purposes of the program

*Further eligibility criteria apply. To find out more, click here.