Posted on 29/11/18 in
The Federal Government announced in November 2018 that it will extend the Adult Australian Apprentices payment, which will incentivise employers to take on apprentices between the ages of 21 and 24.
From July 1 2019, eligibility for the Support for Adult Australian Apprentices (SAAA) payment will be extended to employers who take on an eligible apprentice studying a Certificate III or IV in an area experiencing a “skills need.” Eligible employers will receive a one-off payment of $4,000.
Until now, eligibility for the SAAA payment was limited to employers who engaged an eligible apprentice aged 25 or over when they commenced their training, creating a disincentive for businesses to take on an apprentice aged 21 to 24 and resulting in a decline in the total number of adult apprentices.
Apprenticeship Support Australia (ASA) Managing Director, Darren Cocks, says that the extension of the SAAA is a welcome and exciting decision.
“ASA proudly supports the Government’s decision to encourage employers to bring on more adult apprentices,” he said.
“Our national trades sector is in need of skilled staff, and this payment scheme will help to get more of our experienced apprentices into the workforce and help to skill Australia for the future.”
Incentives for employers to take on more adult apprentices supports the drive for more young Australians to consider starting an apprenticeship. Real skills for real careers educates all stakeholders to understand the benefits for employing an apprentice or trainee.