16th July 2020 

The Commonwealth Government has today announced a $2.5 billion boost for training and apprenticeships. The package includes a $1.5 billion expansion of the wage subsidy for apprentices and $1 billion to skill workers under the JobTrainer program.

In good news for MEA members, the apprentice subsidy had been extended from small to medium businesses (those who employ up to 199 employees by head count). The subsidy has also been extended from September 2020 to March 2021 for all employers.

For employers who did not previously qualify for the apprentice subsidy, but who now do, your apprentices will need to have been engaged as at 1 July 2020. For those who have already qualified for the subsidy there is no change to the qualification of apprentices previously announced.

This is a welcome boost for the industry after a significant amount of advocacy from MEA and others on behalf of the sector. The Commonwealth Government has listened to our requests to extend both the scope and duration of the apprentice subsidy.

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