Incentives and Costs

The Australian and Queensland Governments provide incentives, allowances and subsidies to assist and encourage employers to train new staff and up-skill existing employees through apprenticeships and traineeships.

On this page:

Australian Government Incentives and Allowances for:
Queensland Government Subsidies and Allowances
- Queensland Government Funding
Costs
- Training Costs

Australian Government Incentives & Allowances

Incentives for employers

You may be eligible to receive Australian Government incentives and allowances for commencing an apprentice or trainee. The following incentives are subject to Australian Government eligibility criteria.

Commencement Incentive $1,250 to $1,500
Innovation Incentive $1,100
Australian School-based Commencement Incentive $750
Australian School-based Retention Incentive $750
Declared Drought Areas Commencement Incentive $1,500
Declared Drought Areas Completion Incentive $1,500
Mature Age (45+) Commencement Incentive $750
Mature Age (45+) Completion Incentive $750
Rural and Regional Skills Shortage Incentive $1,000
Recommencement Incentive $750
Completion Incentive $2,500

Assistance for employers of apprentices and trainees with a Disability

Employers of apprentices and trainees with a disability may be eligible to attract the following Australian Government assistance:

Workplace Modifications
Tutorial Assistance of up to $5,500 (GST inc) per year
Mentor or Interpreter Assistance of up to $5,500 (GST inc) per year

For more detailed information on disability assistance click here

Incentives for employers of Indigenous Australians

Additional funding may be available for employing an Indigenous person who is registered as being unemployed with Centrelink and has a Wage Assistance Card. Eligible employers may receive up to:

$4,400 (GST inc) over a 26 week period for full-time employment or
$2,200 for ongoing part-time employment (min 15 hrs/week)

These incentives are on top of the standard Austalian Government employer incentives. For more detailed information on Indigenous incentives click here

Incentives for apprentices and trainees

Your apprentices and trainees may be eligible to attract the following Australian Government incentives. For more detailed information on each of these incentives click here

Tools For Your Trade [TFYT] - up to $3,800
Support for Adult Australian Apprentices [SAAA] - up to $13,000
Living Away From Home Allowance [LAFHA] - up to $77.17 per week
Austudy, ABSTUDY & Youth Allowance

Please note: Eligibility criteria and conditions apply to all funding initiatives and incentives

Queensland Government Funding

The Queensland Government provides a range of incentives, allowances and subsidies to assist employers in employing an Apprentice or Trainee

Subsidised Training
Payroll Tax Exemptions
Youth Training Incentive up to $4,000*
Travel and Accommodation Allowances for apprentices and trainees
Strategic Employment Development Program up to $2,200*

For more detailed information on State Government incentives click here

Training Costs

In Queensland, most training of apprentices and trainees has traditionally been funded by the State Government under ‘User Choice’ arrangements, though not all traineeships are covered. In many cases employers choose to fund the training under a user pay’s or fee-for-service arrangement.

User Choice is a term used to describe the funding and policies which allow employers and their apprentices/trainees to choose an approved training provider and negotiate key aspects of the training.

You will need to reach an agreement with your training provider as to which method of funding is most suitable. In some industries or qualification outcomes, only one training provider may be available.

Note: Incentives and allowances available from the Australian Government and Queensland Government can be varied without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the above information as at the effect date. Eligibility criteria apply to all incentives and allowances. For the latest information, please contact Queensland Apprenticeship Services on 1300 360 955.