The federal government has expanded support to help apprentices finish their training, protecting the skills pipeline delivered under the government’s successful Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements program.

The $3.9 billion Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements program will extend support into the second and third year of an eligible Australian Apprenticeship through the $716 million Completing Apprenticeship Commencements program.

Under the new changes from October 2021, eligible employers will receive a 10% wage subsidy in the second year of an eligible apprenticeship, and five per cent in the third year. The government’s investment is expected to continue to support the 270,000 anticipated commencements under the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements program from October 2020 to March 2022.

Federal Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Stuart Robert, says the new Completing Apprenticeship Commencements program will help maintain a pipeline of skilled workers right across the economy with 348,200 Australians training as at June 2021, 30% more than the previous 12 months.

“The Morrison Government has supported a generation of Australian apprentices in the face of the biggest shock to our economy since World War II,” he says.

“While other countries shed their apprentice workforces, our highly successful Boosting Apprenticeship Commencement program saw new apprenticeships increase 141.5% year on year.

“The Morrison Government is now protecting the pipeline of apprentices today so they become the skilled workforce of tomorrow through the Completing Apprenticeship Commencements program, giving employers the confidence to retain an apprentice in their second and third years of training right through to completion.”

He adds that securing the skilled workforce of tomorrow through the Completing Apprenticeship Commencements program is in addition to a record $6.4 billion investment in skills this financial year, including a $500 million expansion of the JobTrainer Fund, which recently hit more than 230,000 course enrolments.

For further information on how to apply for the program, including information on eligibility, visit this link.