National

Australian Apprenticeships includes apprenticeships, traineeships, pre-apprenticeships, and higher apprenticeships in more than 500 occupations. Australian Apprenticeships are available to anyone of working age with eligibility to work in Australia, regardless of their level of education. Following the Administrative Arrangements Order made on 23 June 2022, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has responsibility for apprenticeships and traineeships for the federal government from 1 July 2022. The Australian Government Australian Apprenticeships website provides information for employers, apprentices, and trainees.

Apprentice Connect Australia (ACA) replaced the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) from 1 July 2024. The aim of the new model is to increase apprenticeship completion rates and the diversity of the apprentice workforce. Apprentice Connect Australia Providers are a free national service for apprentices and employers contracted by the Australian Government, and a Provider is required to start an apprenticeship or to hire an apprentice.

The Apprenticeships Data Management System (ADMS) is an online system used by employers, network providers and state training authorities for managing all aspects of Australian Apprenticeships. The ADMS was introduced by the federal government on 9 April 2022, and it is managed by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The system will progressively streamline and automate some of the functions undertaken by the ANPs on behalf of employers. The ADMS replaces the Training and Youth Internet Management System (TYIMS), which was created in 2001 to track Australian apprentice and trainee and employer relations, and determine eligibility for and make payments.

Incentives

The Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System (AAIS) commenced on 1 July 2022, replacing the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program. The initiative provides support for eligible employers of Australian Apprentices and Australian Apprentices themselves to increase commencements and completions in priority occupations and support employers around Australia to fill skill shortages.

From 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2024, the first phase of the AAIS provided wage subsidies for eligible employers in priority occupations. Hiring incentives were available for employers of apprentices undertaking a qualification in an occupation that does not qualify for the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List. Australian Apprentices training in priority occupations were also able to receive assistance, paid every six months for their first two years. From 1 July 2024, following a checkpoint to assess progress, support will only be available for priority occupations, through a mix of employer and apprentice payments.

The Strategic Review of the Australian Apprenticeship Incentive System was announced 19 February 2024. The review will examine: how the AAIS and complementary services are performing in helping the take up and completion of apprenticeships and traineeships; the effect that cost-of-living pressures is having on apprentices and trainees; how the AAIS can best support high quality apprenticeships and traineeships, including the roles of government support, workplace conditions and culture, and employers; if the current system is creating a training environment encouraging women, First Nations people, people with disability and people in regional, rural and remote communities into apprenticeships and traineeships; and how the AAIS can be aligned with the priorities in the 2023 employment white paper and the Australian Government's broader economic objectives.

The Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program (AAIP) provided a number of incentives to assist employers who took on an Australian Apprentice, particularly where the Australian Apprenticeship was in a trade experiencing a skills shortage. Employers and apprentices claiming incentives for an apprenticeship or traineeship that commenced before 1 July 2022 will continue to be supported under the Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Program.

Several payments from the AAIP will continue as part of the AAIS, including the Living Away From Home Allowance (LAFHA) that is available to eligible Australian Apprentices who have to move away from their parents’ or guardians’ home to take up or retain an Australian Apprenticeship, and support for Australian Apprentices from priority cohorts which includes the Disabled Australian Apprentice Wage Support (DAAWS) and the off-the-job Tutorial, Mentor and Interpreter Assistance.

Eligible apprentices can apply for Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans (formerly Trade Support Loans) to meet everyday costs while they undertake their training. The income contingent loans are paid monthly in arrears. Apprentices will not have to repay the loans until they are earning an income above the minimum repayment threshold, and apprentices who successfully complete their apprenticeship will receive a 20 per cent discount on their loan amount. The loan amount is indexed according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

Other Commonwealth Government funding

The National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development (NASWD) was established through the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations in 2012, and it identifies the long-term objectives of the Commonwealth Government and the state and territory governments in the areas of skills and workforce development. The NASWD is associated with the Skills and Workforce Development National Specific Purpose Payments (SPP), where the Commonwealth Government provides funding to state and territory governments to support them in the delivery of VET services and the running of their training systems.

Progress towards the NASWD targets is reported through the NASWD performance reporting dashboard, maintained by the Productivity Commission. On 15 November 2019, the Treasurer and the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business requested the Productivity Commission to review the NASWD. Following an interim report released in June 2020, the Productivity Commission released its final report on the review of the NASWD on 21 January 2021. Updates to the Performance Reporting Dashboard is currently paused while a review by the Council on Federal Financial Relations (CFFR) is underway.

As part of their commitment to the Heads of Agreement for Skills Reform, the Commonwealth Government and the states have agreed to a new National Skills Agreement to replace the NASWD. The five-year Agreement was signed in October 2023, and commenced 1 January 2024. Fee-free TAFE training may be available in some states and territories for people in priority cohorts.

The Skilling Australians Fund was established as an ongoing arrangement by the Commonwealth Government in 2017 to ensure the businesses that benefit from employing migrants are also skilling Australians. Employers that sponsor migrants under the temporary skill shortage visa and certain permanent skills visas are required to pay a levy to generate revenue for the fund. From 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2022, the Fund was managed through the National Partnership on the Skilling Australians Fund.

New South Wales 

Apprenticeships and traineeships in New South Wales (NSW) are administered under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001, which was reviewed and amended in 2017. This Act provides the framework which supports and protects employers and their apprentices and trainees. Qualifications from nationally agreed training packages are identified by industry as being suitable to be delivered as an apprenticeship or traineeship and are established in New South Wales using a Vocational Training Order (VTO). The VTO specifies the qualification, length of apprenticeship or traineeship and probationary period. Apprenticeships and traineeships are published on the Training Services NSW website in the Commissioner's Information Bulletins (CIB).

Employers of apprentices and trainees may be able to access funding or support including:

• A full payroll tax exemption/rebate for wages paid to approved apprentices and for new trainees under the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Act 2001 and those employed by approved non-profit group training organisations.
• A reduction in the premium, based on wages paid to the apprentice, under the Workers' Compensation Insurance - Apprenticeship Incentive Scheme.

The NSW Government low cost and free options include three initiatives that provide fee-free training:

• Fee-free pre-apprenticeships and pre-traineeships
• Fee-free apprenticeships for NSW apprentices that commence their training on or after 1 July 2018, or withdrew from the apprenticeship prior to 1 July 2018 and recommenced after 1 July 2018
• Fee-free traineeships for NSW trainees that commence their training on or after 1 January 2020.

Other assistance provided by the NSW Government includes the Travel, Accommodation and Relocation assistance package, comprising:

• Vocational Training Assistance Scheme (VTAS) - apprentices or new entrant trainees who are required to travel more than 120 km round trip to attend day or block release training with their RTO may be eligible to receive an allowance per kilometre travelled from their usual place of residence to the training location and a daily amount towards the cost of accommodation if the training extends over several consecutive days.
• Continuing Apprentices/Trainees Placement Scheme (CAPS) - unemployed apprentices that are required to relocate more than 60 km in order to continue their apprenticeship with a new employer may be eligible for relocation and rental assistance. Eligible apprentices may be reimbursed for out-of-pocked expenses such as removalist's costs, a rental bond and two weeks rent in advance, up to a maximum of $2500 per person.

The GTO Recruitment Program funds Group Training Organisations (GTOs) to recruit, screen, induct and refer students for pre-apprenticeship or pre-traineeship training. Students eligible for pre-apprenticeship or pre-traineeship training include those who have left school and meet the Smart and Skilled student eligibility criteria to participate in the training.

The Trade pathways for women strategy is part of the Trade Pathways Program. Initiatives that have been established to help women in trades include Women in Construction and the Connecting Women to Trades grant program.

The NSW Skills List identifies the qualifications eligible for a government subsidy under Smart and Skilled, including apprenticeship, traineeship, pre-apprenticeship and pre-traineeship training.

Victoria 

In Victoria, the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 contains the legislative requirements for apprenticeships and traineeships. The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) regulates apprenticeships and traineeships in Victoria, and provides information for apprentices, trainees, employers and about group training organisations (GTOs).

Victorian apprentices and trainees and their employers may qualify for incentives made available by the Commonwealth government where the training meets the eligibility criteria. Victorian Government programs and initiatives for apprentices and trainees include:

• Apprenticeships Victoria (AV) is a 2020-21 budget commitment (p. 38). It was established to connect apprentices with Big Build projects and support 1500 opportunities each year to work on some of the state's biggest projects. AV is a new division within the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, and is a partnership between the Victorian Government, major project employers and the TAFE and training system.
• The Free TAFE for priority courses initiative began on 1 January 2019. Under this initiative, apprenticeship pathway courses (pre-apprenticeships) at certificate II level are available in 12 industry sectors.
• Skills First is a set of reforms for the training and TAFE sector. Part of Skills First for Industry included a new funded course list that was better aligned to industry needs. The list can be filtered to display apprenticeship or traineeship courses that are eligible for subsidised training.
• Trade apprentices may be eligible to receive a discount on vehicle registration.
• The 'Quality apprenticeships to drive jobs opportunities in the modern economy' program also included the reintroduction of trade papers.

The Apprenticeship Innovation Fund is part of a growth strategy to boost commencements and ensure retrenched apprentices and trainees complete their training. The fund supports new approaches to the apprenticeship and traineeship model, undertaken in partnership with industry and unions. It includes a specific funding stream to support innovative projects that encourage more women into apprenticeships, including in the building and construction industry.

Group Training Organisations (GTOs) may be entitled to an exemption from payroll tax on the wages of apprentices and trainees if they are a new entrant or an out-of-trade apprentice or trainee and if they satisfy the exemption requirements.

Queensland 

Apprenticeships and traineeships in Queensland are administered under the Further Education and Training Act 2014. The Queensland Government passed legislation on 22 April 2016 to establish a permanent training ombudsman as part of its plan to improve quality training and reinvigorate the VET sector. The Office of the Queensland Training Ombudsman offers a free, confidential and independent service to review and resolve enquiries and complaints from anyone in the VET system including students, RTOs, apprentices, trainees, employers and other stakeholders.

Funded training administered through the Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training includes:

• Pre-approved registered training organisations (known as Skills Assure suppliers) are funded to provide training and assessment for most apprenticeships and some traineeships under the User Choice program.
• People under the age of 25 who commence one of the more than 130 priority apprenticeship and traineeship qualifications from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2024 may qualify for the full cost of training to be subsidised under the Free apprenticeships initiative.
• Two of the eight programs that comprise the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative include traineeships:
  • First Start provides wage subsidies to local councils and community-based organisations to employ additional trainees. The program offers opportunities for young people and disadvantaged job seekers to gain nationally recognised qualifications and 12 months employment by undertaking a traineeship.
  • Work Skills Traineeships funds paid work placements on community, public works and environmental projects for up to six months. Participants undertake a Work Skills Traineeship (Certificate I in Business, Construction, Conservation and Ecosystem Management, Hospitality or Retail Services) that integrates vocational skills with on-the-job training.

Information on apprenticeships and traineeships approved for delivery in Queensland, including details on supporting courses and qualifications, restricted callings and Skills Assure suppliers can be accessed using the Queensland Training Information Service (QTIS).

Not all apprenticeships and traineeships attract government funding. The funding priorities under the User Choice program are:

• Priority One (100% subsidised) qualifications are those which lead to occupations deemed to be critical priorities in Queensland.
• Priority Two (87.5% subsidised) qualifications are those which lead to occupations not deemed critical in Queensland but considered as high priorities.
• Priority Three (75% subsidised) qualifications are those which lead to occupations not deemed critical in Queensland but considered as medium priorities.

The User Choice funding priorities are determined from national and state data in conjunction with industry input and are reviewed annually. The apprenticeships and traineeships that attract government funding are included in the User Choice qualification and price list.

South Australia 

The traineeship and apprenticeship system in South Australia (SA) was administered under the Training and Skills Development Act 2008. The Training and Skills Development (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2020 was introduced to amend the Act and the updated South Australian Skills Act 2008 (the SAS Act) came into operation on 1 July 2021. These updates came about from consultation on an amendment Bill in 2020. Key changes include the establishment of the South Australian Skills Commission (SASC) and Commissioner. Until the Act came into effect, the Skills Commissioner, appointed in March 2021, was chair of the Training and Skills Commission (TaSC). The functions of the South Australian Training Advocate were also transferred to the SASC. The Traineeship and Apprenticeship Pathways (TAP) Schedule provides a consolidated list of occupations that have been declared under the Training and Skills Development Act 2008 as trades (apprenticeships) or declared vocations (traineeships) in SA.

Group Training Organisations (GTOs) that have recognition under the National Standards may receive SA Government funding. The available programs are:

• the South Australian Group Training Program (SAGTP) supports the provision of pastoral care arrangements to apprentices and trainees in targeted equity groups, comprising those who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, a person living with a disability, an adult apprentice or trainee (aged 21 years or above upon commencement), female learners, or commenced as a School-based Apprentice or Trainee
• the Group Training Organisation Boost (GTO Boost) supports GTOs, apprentices and host employers for a period of 12 months with a focus on under-represented cohort groups, retention and engagement, and new apprenticeship opportunities across all industries
• the Group Training Organisation Support (Payroll Tax Assistance) Program (GTO Support) provides eligible GTOs with funds commensurate with the Payroll Tax liability incurred by the GTO for apprentices and trainees.

The South Australian Group Training Program (SAGTP) and Group Training Organisation (GTO) Boost Funding guidelines provides more information.

The Travel and Accommodation Allowance (TAA) is available to help cover the costs incurred by employers when apprentices and trainees are required to travel long distances to a Nominated Training Organisation (NTO) that delivers their qualification. The allowance may be claimed by employers of apprentices whose business is in rural or regional South Australia, and the round trip from the apprentice's home to the nearest training location is more than 150 kilometres.

The Subsidised Training List (STL), published by Skills SA, communicates the vocational education and training (VET) courses that attract public subsidy in South Australia. It comprises qualifications and skill sets available through three separate lists, including the Subsidised Traineeship and Apprenticeship List (STAL) that displays the courses the Department for Education will subsidise through training contracts.

Western Australia 

The Western Australia (WA) Department of Training and Workforce Development Apprenticeship Office registers and administers training contracts and regulates the apprenticeship system in Western Australia, in accordance with Part 7 of the Vocational Education and Training Act 1996, the associated Regulations, and the WA Apprenticeship and traineeship policy.

Incentives and wage subsidies offered by the WA government include:

• Jobs and Skills WA Employer Incentive
• Defence Industry Existing Worker Incentive (DIEWI)
• Group Training Organisation (GTO) Wage Subsidy
• Western Australian Group Training Program (WAGTP)
• Apprenticeship and Traineeship Grant for Employers
• Disaster Recovery Construction Grant.

The Western Australian State Government provides a payroll tax exemption on wages paid to apprentices under a registered training contract and eligible trainees with a training contract registered prior to 1 July 2019.

The Department of Training and Workforce Development assists apprentices and trainees with travel and accommodation related to the completion of their off the job training component. Apprentices are eligible for Travel and Accommodation Allowance (TAA) if they are a Western Australian resident, attending a training provider (i.e. TAFE) for off the job training and have to travel more than 70 kms (round trip) from their residential address to attend the closest training provider.

The Apprentice Completion Grant is a $4.2 million initiative aimed at encouraging apprentices and trainees to complete their training in the construction industry in WA. This pilot program provides a one-off payment of $2000 to construction apprentices and trainees who complete their qualifications between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024. An additional $500 (maximum) reimbursement is also available to these students as repayment for the purchase of work-related tools and/or safety equipment between 1 July 2023 and 30 June 2024.

A free Out of Contract Register is available which provides a list of  out of contract apprentices and trainees in Western Australia.

Funded training is included on the apprenticeship and eligible traineeship lists.

Tasmania 

The training and workforce development system in Tasmania is established under the Training and Workforce Development Act 2013 and incorporates the vocational education and training (VET) system, including the apprenticeship and traineeship system.

The Apprentices and trainees rebate scheme provides a rebate on payroll tax for a period of two years from the date apprentices and trainees training contract comes into effect for apprentices and/or trainees in the building, construction, tourism, hospitality and manufacturing industries between 1 July 2019 and 31 December 2021; and apprentices and/or trainees employed in all industries between 1 January 2021 and 30 June 2024.

The Mentoring for Success Program aims to support an escalation in the use of Group Training Organisations (GTOs) by small to medium enterprises in all industries across the state. Grants will be offered to GTOs who place an apprentice or trainee with an eligible host employer.

The Apprentice and Trainee Training Fund provides grants to eligible registered training organisations to subsidise the cost of delivering training and assessment and associated learner support services to Tasmanian apprentices and trainees. The Fund is a rolling program that is released annually. Applications for each annual round close at the end of the applicable calendar year. The program has previously been called the Apprentice and Trainee Training Fund (User Choice).

The New Apprenticeship Scholarship program (NASP) aims to assist commencing apprentices and trainees in north west Tasmania with costs of their apprenticeship or traineeship in the Agriculture, Aquaculture and Forestry, Transport and Logistics and Health and Social Assistance industries. The program provides grants of $2000 for new workers who are over 18 years old.

The Qualifications approved as an apprenticeship or traineeship list provides comprehensive information about qualifications that are currently approved to be delivered as an apprenticeship or traineeship in Tasmania including information regarding government funding and any conditions that may apply.

The RTOs funded to deliver qualifications as an apprenticeship or traineeship list details both private and public Registered Training Organisations that are currently subsidised by the Tasmanian Government to deliver qualifications to apprentices and trainees in Tasmania.

Northern Territory 

The Northern Territory (NT) User Choice Funding Program allows employers, together with the apprentices and trainees they employ, to choose which registered training organisation (RTO) will provide them with the training and assessment services and to negotiate key aspects of the training such as where, how and when it will be provided. Qualifications available for apprenticeship and traineeship delivery in the NT are approved under the Training and Skills Development Act 2016 and listed on the NT apprenticeships and traineeships database. Entries in the database include a description and how long it will take to complete; whether it can be completed part-time or while at school; what NT providers, if any, are delivering the training; and if the RTO receives government funding.

The Employer Incentive Program aims to attract 1000 regional and remote Territorians into a new apprenticeship or traineeship and increasing the level of training delivered in regional and remote Northern Territory. From December 2022, employers may receive $3000 per apprentice or trainee to cover the cost their business incurs when taking on a new apprentice or trainee, for up to 10 apprentices or trainees per employer.

The Apprenticeship and traineeship travel and accommodation subsidy scheme contributes towards the costs incurred by apprentices and trainees who need to travel more than 50 kilometres to attend training at a registered training organisation (RTO). Claims may be submitted six weeks prior to travelling. Travel claims may be for either a road subsidy, bus fare or air fare. Claims may also be made for the cost of transfers between the airport or bus terminal and accommodation.

First-year apprentices and trainees may be eligible to receive funding to buy workwear and equipment under the Workwear and gear bonus initiative. Eligible full-time, part-time and school-based apprentices and trainees may receive $300; eligible apprentices in a trade occupation listed on the NT skilled occupation priority list may receive $1000.

Australian Capital Territory 

The Training and Tertiary Education Act 2003 regulates apprenticeships and traineeships in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Objects of the Act are also to support quality assurance and best management practices for vocational education and training; and encourage awareness in the community of the need for, and to promote the development of, vocational education and training that is relevant to industry.

The ACT Government, through Skills Canberra, contracts Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) to deliver subsidised training to eligible students. RTOs may apply to Skills Canberra to receive funding to deliver nationally accredited training for the Australian Apprenticeships (User Choice) and Skilled Capital ACT Government training initiatives.

The Future Skills for Future Jobs Grants Program provides funding for innovative projects that promote market diversity and aim to increase the number of commencements across pre-apprenticeship, pre-traineeships, Australian Apprentices and higher apprenticeships.

The ACT Vocational Education and Training Administration Records System (AVETARS) public interface provides access to the ACT Qualifications Register, which lists all current and historical qualifications available for training in the ACT, their nominal duration, the registered training organisations (RTOs) that deliver them, and the subsidies offered to those RTOs by the ACT Government for their delivery; a list of RTOs in the ACT, including their contact details and the qualifications they deliver; and an online form for RTOs to apply for a Training Initiative Funding Agreement. Additional functionality is available via user accounts.