Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills, in writing, on 28 February 2011:

What incentives exist to encourage small business to offer apprenticeships and traineeships, and what assistance is available to help them understand the range of incentives and select, implement and run programs in a way that facilitates high completion rates.

Peter Garrett (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills has provided the following answer to the honourable member’s question:

The Australian Government provides in excess of $1.2 billion per annum in financial support to employers and Australian Apprentices through the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program, a demand-driven program based on applications from eligible employers and Australian Apprentices.

Under the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program, employers of eligible apprentices and trainees at the Certificate III or IV level may attract a Commencement incentive of $1500, a Recommencement incentive of $750 and a Completion incentive of $2500. Employers of eligible apprentices and trainees at the Certificate II level may attract a Commencement incentive of $1250.

In addition to these standard incentives for employers, the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program also offers a range of special and additional incentives. Many of these are targeted at those in traditional trades identified as experiencing a national skills shortage. These include a Rural and Regional Skill Shortages commencement incentive of $1000, the Support for Adult Australian Apprentices (aged 25 and over) weekly wage supplements, the Declared Drought Area commencement and completion incentives totalling $3000, the Mature Age Worker (aged 45 and over) commencement and completion incentives totalling $1500, the Australian School-based Apprenticeships commencement and retention incentives totalling $1500, the Assistance for Australian Apprentices with Disability weekly wage supplements and tutorial/mentor/ interpreter assistance.

Personal benefits payments available for eligible Australian Apprentices include the Living Away From Home Allowance payments, the Tools for Your Trade payments totalling $5500, and the Support for Adult Australian Apprentices wage supplements if not going to the employer.

In addition the Queensland Natural Disasters Jobs and Skills Package released on 6 March 2011 will help employers and Australian Apprentices in disaster affected areas in Queensland. Initiatives include the Disaster Recovery Start-up Bonus payment of $3350 made to small and medium-sized employers (with less than 200 employees) and registered group training organisations in rural and regional flood and cyclone affected areas in Queensland who take on a new apprentice aged 19 years and under in a skill shortage trade apprenticeship, the Relocation Payment of $3000 to eligible, registered, out-of-trade Australian Apprentices who relocate to a flood or cyclone affected area to recommence their Australian Apprenticeship, and the Tools and Work Equipment Payment of $800 for eligible Australian Apprentices whose tools or work equipment have been lost or damaged due to a flood or cyclone related event in a declared natural disaster area in Queensland.

The Government also provides funding support to Queensland group training organisations to employ teams of out-of-trade apprentices in trade projects that benefit both their industry and the wider community.

Assistance for employers and Australian Apprentices in understanding the full range of incentives and payments available is provided by Australian Apprenticeships Centres who are contracted by the Australian Government specifically for this purpose. Australian Apprenticeships Centres have been providing support services to stakeholders since 1998.

Australian Apprenticeships Centres also help employers and Australian Apprentices select appropriate qualifications and registered training organisations, and provide ongoing mentoring and support throughout the duration of the Australian Apprenticeship with a view to successful completion.

Further details on the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program and advice on how to contact an Australian Apprenticeship Centre is publicly available at http://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/.