Following the announcement of the JobKeeper Payment on 30 March 2020 we identified a gap in support available to apprentices and trainees employed through Group Training Organisations (GTOs).

In response to our calls, the Federal Government has advised us that the apprenticeship subsidy for group apprentices will now match the JobKeeper payment so that apprentices who are retained by their host employers will be eligible for $1500 per fortnight as though they were directly employed. This means that regardless of the size of the host or whether the GTO is eligible for JobKeeper, any apprentice who was with a host of any size as at 1 March will be eligible for a $1500 per fortnight subsidy.

This support will be delivered through the apprenticeship payment system rather than the ATO which is administering the JobKeeper payment.

This is a welcome measure for GTOs, host employers and apprentices to ensure the same level of wage assistance as other employees, and to help keep apprentices in work and training and connected to their employers.

This change will apply retrospectively to wages paid from 1 April 2020, and will be rolled out in line with existing processes for the apprenticeship wage subsidy, with payments made quarterly in arrears.

To finalise the arrangements to implement this additional support, the Federal Government will now consult with the group training sector, through the National Apprentice Employment Network, to update the guidelines for the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees measure.

For more information visit Supporting Apprentices and Trainees or contact your Group Training Organisation to discuss further. Final claims for payment must be lodged by 31 December 2020.