The Australian Government has announced the extension of the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy to March 31, 2022.
In order to assist with the recovery from the impact of COVID-19, the Australian Government is providing support to all eligible employers who engage a new Australian Apprentice via the ‘Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy’ (BAC).
They have also introduced a ‘Completing Apprenticeship Commencement wage subsidy’ (CAC) to support apprentices and trainees in their second and third years of an apprenticeship or traineeship.
The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy supports businesses and Group Training Organisations to take on new apprentices and trainees, to build a pipeline of skilled workers to support sustained economic recovery.
Through the subsidy, any business or Group Training Organisation that engages an Australian Apprentice between October 5, 2020 and March 31, 2022 may be eligible for a subsidy of 50 per cent of wages paid to a new or recommencing apprentice or trainee for a 12-month period from the date of commencement, to a maximum of $7,000 per quarter. After 12 months of this support employers will be eligible to transition to the time-limited Completing Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy for the second and third years of an apprenticeship. Under the CAC, eligible employers will receive a 10 per cent wage subsidy in the second year of an eligible apprenticeship, up to a maximum of $1,500 per quarter per apprentice, and a 5 per cent wage subsidy in the third year of their apprenticeship, to a maximum of $750 per quarter per apprentice.
The introduction of the Completing Apprenticeship Commencement wage subsidy is designed to encourage apprentices and trainees to complete their training.
Both wage subsidies are available to employers of any size, industry or geographic location.
The BAC and CAC are available to employers of any size, industry or geographic location.
Final claims for payment must be lodged by June 30, 2025.
From July 1, 2020 the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program (AAIP) was scheduled to be replaced with a new, simplified and streamlined incentives program for employers of apprentices and trainees, the Incentives for Australian Apprenticeships (IAA).
However, due to the extension of the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements Wage Subsidy to March 31, 2022 as announced in the 2021-22 Budget the Government has further revised the implementation schedule of the IAA. The IAA will now commence from July 1, 2022.
For more information check out the Boosting Apprenticeships Commencements fact sheet available at www.dese.gov.au/download/7572/boosting-apprenticeships-commencements-fact-sheet/21807/boosting-apprenticeship-commencements-fact-sheet/pdf