Incentives and Pay Rates

Updated 3 December 

The Australian Government has announced significant changes to the Apprenticeships Incentive System, effective 1 January 2026 through to 31 December 2026.

Changes you need to know about:

• Key Apprenticeship Program (KAP): Up to $15,000 total support ($5,000 Employer, $10,000 Apprentice) for critical sectors like housing construction and clean energy. 
• Priority Apprenticeships: Up to $5,000 total support ($2,500 Employer, $2,500 Apprentice) for occupations on the Australian Apprenticeship Priority List.
• Non-Priority Occupations: No Commonwealth financial incentives will be available.

Unchanged:
•    Living Away From Home Allowance and Support Loans remain unchanged. Grandfathering arrangements apply for apprenticeships commenced before 1 January 2026.

For more information please contact us on (08) 8935 8200.

 Incentive System 2026 Factsheet 

Updated 3 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 GuidelinesProgram Guidelines

Australian Apprenticeship Priority List:

Current priority occupations on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List.
Priority List - 1 April 2026Priority List Fact Sheet

The below are the current incentives for Employers and Apprentices: 

Financial Support for EmployersApprentice 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 OverviewProgram Factsheet Program Flyer
 

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.

DAAWS OverviewDAAWS Factsheet
 

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 OverviewLAFHA Eligibility Applications

How to complete a LAFHA eligibility applicationHow to complete a LAFHA claim application

Australian Apprenticeship Support Loans (AASL):

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 OverviewAASL 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.
OverviewFactsheet
 

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.
• Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System Guidelinesprovide 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.

Hiring Incentive Overview

A Group Training Organisation (GTO) employs an apprentice or trainee on your behalf and places them with your business to work and train. The GTO — not you — handles recruitment, payroll, entitlements, compliance and paperwork, while your business gets the on-the-job value of a motivated apprentice without carrying the admin.

Why businesses use a GTO:

• Someone else is the legal employer — wages, super, entitlements and compliance are handled for you
• Flexibility — if your needs change, a GTO can usually adjust the arrangement more easily than a direct employment separation
• Ongoing support — most GTOs assign a dedicated contact who works with both you and your apprentice, and helps resolve workplace issues as they arise
• You still access incentives — legitimate GTOs pass eligible government incentives back to the host business, they don't retain them
• Recruitment is done for you — GTOs typically screen and match candidates to your business's needs
   

Prefer to employ directly instead? That's a completely valid option too — you can sign up an apprentice or trainee as their direct employer and still get support and guidance from us along the way.
FIND A GTO IN THE NT

1. Register your vacancy: tell our Careers Team what you need, and they'll do the legwork of finding suitable candidates
2. We shortlist for you: candidates are screened and tested first, so you only see people who are genuinely job-ready
3. You choose: review the shortlist and pick who's right for your business
4. We handle the paperwork: training contract, sign-up, lodgment with the State Training Authority, all sorted by our team
5. Ongoing support: your ANT mentor stays involved throughout the apprenticeship, supporting both you and your apprentice

JOBS BOARD
 

Taking on an apprentice is a two-way relationship, and we're here to support both sides of it. Alongside the pastoral support your apprentice can receive, our mentors work with you and your supervisors too — helping you get the most out of the placement and handle anything that comes up along the way.

What we can help with:

• Connecting you with other employers — peer networks and industry knowledge-sharing with other host businesses facing similar challenges
• Supervising with confidence — practical strategies for managing and supporting your apprentice day to day, especially where they need extra flexibility or additional support
• Building your team's capacity — training and support to help you and your supervisors attract, retain and get the best out of apprentices 
• Understanding your role — guidance on providing a safe, respectful workplace, free from harassment, and what's expected of you as a host employer
• Workplace culture training — sessions on mental health, healthy workplace relationships, and building an inclusive team
• Not every business needs everything — we'll work out what's actually useful for you and your team.

GET IN TOUCH

Setting up ADMS access as an employer takes a few more steps than the apprentice side, since it needs to be linked to your business — but it's a one-time process.

1. Create your Digital ID
   Set up a Digital ID through myID, with at least Standard identity strength. Visit the myID website for help setting this up.

2. Link your Digital ID to your business

   Use Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) to link your myID to your business. How you do this depends on your role:
   •    Principal authority — the person responsible for the business
   •    Authorised user or administrator — someone authorised to act on behalf of the business

You'll need Custom or Full access to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. Visit the RAM website for help.

1. Register on the ADMS Portal
   Head to the ADMS Portal, register your account, and agree to the security declaration.
   Once these three steps are done, you can log into ADMS any time using your Digital ID.
    

Having trouble logging in?
Error ID: MSIS9622 — this usually means there's no eSAM profile matching your business (ABN) yet. 

To fix it:
1.    Clear your browser cache
2.    Link your ABN to your myID via RAM
3.    Complete eSAM self-registration
4.    Accept the security declaration when prompted
5.    Try logging in again
 

More questions or troubleshooting? The official ADMS help for employers and RTOs page covers common issues in more detail.
 

Still stuck? Call us on (08) 8935 8200 — we deal with ADMS access issues regularly and can talk you through it.

ACCESS FORMS