The State Budget provides greater support for local business to invest in apprentices and trainees.
It established changes to the Jobs Accelerator Grant, which increases funding for each new apprentice and trainee to:
- up to $15,000 for businesses with payrolls between $600,000 and $5 million
- up to $9000 for businesses with payrolls up to $600,000.
Eligibility will be backdated for existing Job Accelerator Grant applications. This means businesses that have already hired a new apprentice or trainee, and registered for the grant, will be eligible for the increased payment.
An apprentice or trainee will be eligible for the grant if:
- they are under an approved training contract in an occupation that is declared to be a ‘trade’ or ‘vocation’ under the Training and Skills Development Act 2008 (this list is comprehensive and includes things like metal fitters and machinists, motor mechanics and electronics trade workers)
- all other Jobs Accelerator Grant criteria are met.
Businesses which engage new, additional host apprentices and trainees employed by Group Training Organisations will also be eligible for the grant.
The grant will apply to all eligible apprentice and trainee positions created between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2018.
The SA Jobs Today website has been established to provide information about industries that are growing jobs today and creating the jobs of tomorrow. The website will be a portal for jobseekers, businesses and interested South Australians: sajobstoday.sa.gov.au