Incentives and Allowances - as an Apprentice or TRAINEE

Incentives and allowances are available to help reduce the cost of training such as the cost of tools for some trades and wage top-ups in some circumstances. If you have to move away from home you may be eligible for a living
away from home allowance.

Commonwealth Allowances

Living away From Home Allowance
Apprentices and trainees who live away from home in order to obtain or continue an apprenticeship or traineeship may be eligible for an allowance to assist them with the cost of living.

Tools for Trade Initiative
The above initiative provides up to $800 for the purchase of trade tools for eligible Apprentices. More information is available from the Tools for Your Trade on 1800 557 875 or click here to be redirected to the Tools for Your Trade site.

SUPPORT FOR MID-CAREER APPRENTICES (AGED 30 OR MORE)

More mid-career Australians need to be encouraged and supported to take up an apprenticeship. There will be financial support for mid-career workers aged 30 or more to upgrade their skills through an apprenticeship in trade occupation in high demand.

The amount payable will be set at $150 per week ($7,800 per annum in the first year) and $100 per week ($5,200 per annum) in the second year.

Click on this link to read more about mid-career apprenticeships.

State Allowances

Travel and Accommodation Allowance (TAA)
The TAA is the State’s contribution towards assisting an apprentice/trainee to meet additional travel and accommodation costs incurred while travelling from his/her normal place of residence to the training venue of the closest contracted Registered Training Organisation (RTO) delivering the approved off-the-job training program and, on
completion of that training, returning home.

The TAA policy provides for apprentices/trainees to be paid travel and/or accommodation allowances under certain circumstances.

Travel Allowance
For eligibility to travel allowance the round trip distance travelled from the apprentice’s/trainee’s normal place of residence to the training venue must exceed 70 kilometres, calculated as though attendance were at the closest training venue of all the contracted RTOs able to deliver the approved off-the-job training program. The shortest, most practicable road route is used to determine apprentice/trainee entitlement to metropolitan and regional travel and accommodation allowances.

Accommodation Allowance
The Department may provide a contribution towards accommodation costs for each night the apprentice/trainee lives away from home to attend such training.

For eligibility to accommodation allowance the round trip distance travelled from the apprentice’s/trainee’s normal place of residence to the training venue must exceed 200 kilometres, calculated as though attendance was at the closest training venue of all the contracted RTOs able to deliver the approved off-the-job training program.

Please contact the ApprentiCentre on 13 19 54 if you believe you are eligible.

Find out more

For information on the full range of incentives and allowances phone the Australian Apprenticeships Centre on 13 38 73. 

Links

 Australian Apprentice Centre

 WA ApprentiCentre

 Incentives and Personal Assistance

 Travel, Accommodation & Allowance Form 

 Apprentice Wage Top Up information

 Apprentice Wage Top Up fact sheet