New WA Employer Incentive Scheme – Apprenticeships and Traineeships

As part of the State Government budget, the Western Australian Government has announced an Employer Incentive Scheme to help thousands of Western Australian employers with the costs of employing an apprentice or new entrant trainee.

• A new Employer Incentive Scheme will provide financial assistance to Western Australian businesses who take on an apprentice or new entrant trainee
• Under the scheme, businesses will receive a base payment of up to $8,500 for employing an apprentice or trainee
• The scheme will be effective from July 1, 2019
• A total of $182.4 million has been allocated for a new Employer Incentive Scheme and training subsidies, including more than $45 million for regional Western Australia

New Entrant Payroll Tax exemption removed from 1st July 2019 for Traineeships

The scheme will be funded through the redirection of payroll tax, once legislation is passed to remove the remaining payroll tax exemption for trainees. The payroll tax exemption for apprentices will be retained. To ascertain the impact on your traineeship programs, please contact The Apprenticeship Community.

Details of the Employer Incentive Scheme

Although further details are yet to be announced, the government has advised that businesses will receive a base payment of up to $8,500 for employing an apprentice or new entrant trainee. It is estimated this scheme will extend State Government support to nearly 6,000 businesses.

Additional loadings will increase the payment for regional areas, employees with disability, priority occupations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees, and apprentices aged between 21 to 30 years.

Together with the Construction Training Fund, the new scheme will extend support to employers in all industries who take on apprentices and trainees.

The Apprenticeship Community State Manager, Jo Eagle, said that the funding announcement was good for WA employers who are investing in training to develop and grow their workforce.

“We hope that this scheme will encourage business owners to consider apprenticeships or traineeships for their employees to not only increase skills in their own business, but for their industry”, she said.

For more information regarding hiring an apprentice or trainee for your workplace, contact The Apprenticeship Community

Further information regarding the Employer Incentive Scheme announcement can be found in The West Australian media release.