Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements Initiative
Apprenticeship Support Network Information Bulletin
Following are some guidelines for Apprentice Connect Australia Providers and Training Services staff for dealing with a possible influx of existing worker traineeships in response to the Commonwealth’s Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy initiative. These are in addition to existing State and Commonwealth eligibility requirements.
Apprentice Connect Australia Providers
- Undertake thorough capacity to train assessment. In particular, they should check:
- that learners are undertaking duties appropriate to the proposed vocation
- the employer has the capacity to provide appropriate supervision and on the job training in the proposed vocation
- the employer is aware of, and has the capacity to release learners for a minimum of 3 hrs per week with pay, to undertake formal training and assessment activities
- Speak to individual learners to confirm their understanding and agreement with the proposed existing worker traineeship
- Contact Training Services regional offices where there are concerns about the appropriateness of proposed training contracts
- Where a large number of proposed existing workers are with the same RTO, Apprentice Connect Australia Providers are to liaise with the RTO to discuss proposed formal training. Any concerns are to be discussed with RTO and/or Training Services
- Advise Training Services of any employers seeking to establish more than 20 existing worker training contracts
- Advise Training Services when they become aware that employers:
- apply to change contract type from New Entrant to Existing Worker for established contracts claiming error being made at the time of sign up
- attempt to cancel existing training contracts and then recommence the same person to access Boosting Apprenticeship Commencement Incentives
- terminate current employees and employ a new worker to claim Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements incentives
- Training Services to liaise with Apprentice Connect Australia Providers in response to requests for advice/assistance regarding the appropriateness of proposed existing worker training arrangements or formal training being proposed by nominated RTO
- Training Services to liaise with Apprentice Connect Australia Providers when advised of possible 20 or more existing worker commencements and check that they have completed thorough capacity to train assessment
- Training Services will undertake random monitoring (post Training Contract approval) of employers who have established 20 or more existing worker training contracts.
Issued: 6 November 2020