Australian Apprenticeship Incentives
Updated 3rd July 2025
Apprenticeships play a key role in building a more inclusive and sustainable economy, ensuring Australians receive quality training while in employment.
The Incentive System provides additional financial supports towards Australian Apprenticeships in priority occupations as listed on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List.
Australian Apprenticeship Incentive System Guidelines:
System Guidelines
Program Guidelines
Australian Apprenticeship Priority List:
Current priority occupations on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List.
Priority List - 1 July 2025
Priority List Fact Sheet
The below are the current incentives for Employers and Apprentices:
Financial Support for Employers
Apprentice Support
Key Apprenticeship Program (KAP):
The Key Apprenticeship Program (KAP) has been implemented with the goal of encouraging the growth of the workforce and expanding the pipeline of workers training towards critical occupations supporting priority sectors. The KAP contains two streams:
- New Energy Apprenticeship stream; and
- Housing Construction Apprenticeship stream.
The KAP payment is available to eligible Australian Apprentices in the new energy and housing construction occupations that are linked to a qualification listed on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List and where their employer can provide meaningful exposure, experience, and work in the relevant clean energy or housing construction sector. For more information please contact us on (08) 8935 8200.
Key Apprenticeship Program Overview
Disability Australian Apprentice Wage Support (DAAWS):
DAAWS is a weekly payment to employers who employ apprentices with disability. Tutorial, interpreter and mentor services are available for eligible apprentices who need extra assistance with their off-the-job training.
You can receive $216.07 each week for:
- 12 months if the individual has a long term or permanent disability
- The length of the temporary disability
Am I eligible?
- You must be paying your apprentice at least $216.07 per week, or its part-time equivalent for the duration of the wage support
- Your apprentice must meet the disability eligibility criteria. Details can be found in Part E Assistance for Australian Apprentices with Disability of the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System Guidelines
The Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System Guidelines outline the detailed eligibility for the Disability Australian Apprentice Wage Support. For more information please contact us on (08) 8935 8200.
Living Away From Home Allowance (LAFHA):
The Living Away From Home Allowance is for Australian Apprentices undertaking a Certificate II or higher level qualification may be eligible for the Living Away From Home Allowance if they have to move away from their parental/guardian home for the first time to commence or remain in an Australian Apprenticeship, or are homeless. To see if you may be eligible please contact us on (08) 8935 8200.
LAFHA Eligibility Applications
How to complete a LAFHA eligibility application
How to complete a LAFHA claim application
Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans are available to eligible apprentices to assist with everyday costs while completing their apprenticeship. For more information please contact us on (08) 8935 8200.
Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan Overview
AASL Factsheets
GTO Reimbursement Program:
The Group Training Organisation Reimbursement Program offers a payment to eligible Group Training Organisations (GTOs) who place an Australian Apprentice training towards a qualification and occupation listed on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority list with a Small or Medium Enterprise (SME) that has not directly engaged or hosted an Australian Apprentice through a GTO within the last two years. To see if you're eligible, please contact us on (08) 8935 8200.
Overview
Factsheet
Priority Hiring Incentive:
The Priority Hiring Incentive is a payment for employers of Australian Apprentices training towards an occupation and qualification at a Certificate level III or above listed on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List.
may be eligible to receive a Priority Hiring Incentive of up to $5000 in the first year of an apprenticeship, paid over two instalments of:
- $2,000 at 6 months and $3,000 at 12 months (full- time)
- $1,000 at 6 months and $1,500 at 12 months (part-time)
Am I eligible?
The Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System focuses on priority occupations, which are found on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List
The Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System Guidelines provide the detailed eligibility for the Priority Hiring Incentive and your Apprentice Connect Australia Provider is also able to advise you on your eligibility.
You can only receive the Priority Hiring Incentive if you are not currently receiving the Priority Wage Subsidy or Disability Australian Apprentice Wage Support for the same apprentice.
Priority Hiring Incentive Overview
Hiring Incentive:
If you are not eligible for the Priority Wage Subsidy, you may be eligible to receive the Hiring Incentive. You may be eligible to receive an incentive of $3,500 paid in two equal six monthly instalments ($1,750 each) for a full time apprentice and $875 or ($1,750) for a Part-Time Apprentice. For more information please contact us on (08) 8935 8200.
Northern Territory Government Incentives
Workwear & Gear Bonus
If you're a first-year apprentice or trainee in the Northern Territory, you may be eligible to receive either $300 or $1,000 in funding to buy workwear and equipment. Find out more by clicking here.
Travel and Accommodation Assistance
Get more information about funding for apprentices or trainees in the Northern Territory who need to travel more than 50km to attend training at a registered training organisation (RTO). Find out more by clicking here.
Regional and Remote Skills Development
From 1 December 2022, businesses based in regional or remote parts* of the Territory can receive a $3,000 employer incentive for every new apprentice or trainee they take on.
- *The Employer must be located in a Regional or Remote location as per the User Choice Funding Locality Listing Delivery allowance for VET funded programs | NT.GOV.AU
- $3,000 is paid to the Employer at the 6 month point after the Employer has confirmed the apprentice or trainee remains employed by the business.
- The incentive is limited to 10 places per Employer.
- The incentive is limited to 500 places in Regional and Remote NT.
- All qualifications are included.
- Eligible for both part-time and full-time arrangements.
Expired: Boosting and Completing Apprenticeship Commencements Wage Subsidy Claims Information
Claim application availability in the Apprenticeships Data Management System (ADMS)
To support employers to collate all the wage evidence that must be attached to their wage subsidy claim application and update their Single Touch Payroll data, the Department will release claim applications approximately 15 calendar days after the claim period closes. This will also give Australian Apprenticeship Support Network Providers time to update any changed employer information (i.e. employer email and other contact details) in ADMS before the claim application is generated, reducing the chance of incorrect information delaying the processing and payment of claims.
When will my claim application be available?
Boosting and Completing Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy claim for the period 1 April 2022 to 30 June 2022 will be available in ADMS from 15 July 2022.