MEGT: 136 348

MAS National: 1300 627 628

We are expecting an increase in the number of people looking to hire apprentices. It can be difficult to find candidates who hold drivers licenses and have a car. If you would be willing to employ an apprentice who is the process of getting their P plates, please contact us on 8367 5615. If you would also consider hiring an unlicensed apprentice who lived in close vicinity to you or your team, please let us know the area you would consider recruiting from. Employers may also consider the option to employ adult apprentices and utilise the governments’ wage subsidy to reduce the higher pay rate.

We will be running a recruitment drive in December 2021 to try to increase the number of applicants we have to recommend.

JobMaker Plan

The Government’s $74 billion JobMaker Plan is a key element of the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan for Australia, designed to support a stronger economic recovery and bring more Australians back to work. Creating jobs and boosting the skills of Australians to help them get back into work is at the heart of the Government’s Economic Recovery Plan for Australia. The JobMaker Plan consists of a number of measures designed to boost economic growth, create jobs, invest in our future industries and skills, remove red tape, guarantee essential services and restore confidence in a stronger recovery.  See the full suite of initiatives under the JobMaker plan at https://budget.gov.au/2020-21/content/jobmaker.htm

Skills and Training Initiatives under the JobMaker Plan include:

To get more people the skills they need and to support job seekers back into work, the Australian Government will fund 100,000 new apprenticeships through the $1.2 billion Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy. It will be paid to businesses of any size who take on new or recommencing apprentices from 5 October 2020 to 30 September 2021, for wages paid in that period, capped at $7,000 per quarter.

The Government will create a new Apprenticeships Data Management System (ADMS) to better support the needs of apprentices and employers as Australia works to recover from COVID-19 and get more people into apprenticeships and back to work. It will replace the current outdated apprenticeships information system, known as the Training and Youth Internet Management System (TYIMS) at an estimated cost of $91.6 million.

New job seekers who lack basic language, literacy and numeracy skills will be supported to access the training and support they need with funding for an additional 14,485 places in the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) program. The Government will invest $49.5 million to fund these additional places over two years.

The Government is cutting fees and charges to students and educators, including waiving the Tuition Protection Levy for the VET Student Loans (VSL) program, providing $6.3 million in funding to the Tuition Protection Service, and extending exemptions for eligible students from paying loan fees under the VSL program to 30 June 2021.

Eligible students will have more time to have their VET FEE-HELP debt re-credited after the Government committed $11.9 million to extend the VET FEE-HELP Student Redress Measures to 31 December 2022.

Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements in detail:

The $1.2 billion Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements (BAC) wage subsidy will support 100,000 new apprentices. The measure sees the Government paying a 50 per cent wage subsidy for wages paid to businesses of any size who take on new or recommencing apprentices from 5 October 2020 to 30 September 2021. The subsidy will be capped at $7,000 per quarter for gross wages and compliments the significant support already available for employers.

The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements measure aims to support employers and Group Training Organisations to take on new apprentices and trainees to build a pipeline of skilled workers to support sustained economic recovery.

Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements is only available to the first 100,000 Australian Apprentices who commence or recommence with an employer or host employer of any size, including Group Training Organisations, on or after 5 October 2020.

For an employer to be eligible for Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements, the Australian Apprentice must:

• be undertaking a Certificate II or higher qualification; and
• meet the following eligibility criteria from Section III Primary Eligibility:

• • Employment and Training Arrangements; and
  • Citizenship Status; and

• have a Training Contract that is formally approved by the State Training Authority

An employer will not be eligible for Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements where:

• the employer is receiving any other form of Australian Government wage subsidy or equivalent assistance for the Australian Apprentice;
• the Australian Apprentice is undertaking a qualification that supersedes a qualification previously undertaken by the same Australian Apprentice; or
• there has been fraud or manipulation, such as cancelling or withdrawing from an Australian Apprenticeship, for the purpose of accessing Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements  payments, which would otherwise not have been payable.

Interested Employers should contact their local Australian Apprenticeship Support Network (AASN) Provider who can provide tailored information and support them to complete the short online registration form https://forms.business.gov.au/smartforms/servlet/SmartForm.html?formCode=BoostingApprentices. This should be done after the Contract of Training has been completed and the relevant tracking code has been obtained (this tracking code is provided at the sign up).

The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy will be paid quarterly in arrears with all claims to be finalised by December 2021.

National Careers Institute Initiatives  

The National Careers Institute has announced initiatives to further support and enhance people’s access to careers information in Australia.

• On 1 October 2020, the Your Career website at yourcareer.gov.au was announced.  The website will support people to make informed career decisions, including support to learn and train, get job-ready and get career ideas.

• The Enhanced Support to School Leavers measure was announced on 8 October.  The measure comprises two initiatives:

The School Leavers Information Kit, available at yourcareer.gov.au, which provides this year’s school leavers with information about their education, training and employment options in 2021.

The School Leavers Information Service which will provide school leavers with phone, text or email support to navigate the School Leavers Information Kit, and to access and use the Your Career website. The service also offers a personalised career guidance session with a qualified career practitioner for up to 45 minutes, where needed.

The media releases signalling the launch of Your Career and the School Leaver measure by Senator the Hon. Michaelia Cash, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, can be found here.

Your Career website

The Your Career website at yourcareer.gov.au supports people at all ages and stages of their career, to make informed career decisions now, and as the economy recovers from COVID-19.

Powered by world-leading leading labour market intelligence from the National Skills Commission, visitors to Your Career will be able to interact with a range of tools to help them understand where the jobs are now, and where they will be in the future, and which skills they may need to get there.

Your Career is genuinely user-driven. Over 5,000 people, including school leavers, career advisers, employers and people across all stages of working life, took part in research and user acceptance testing to inform the website’s functionality and design over the past 12 months.

Your Career stems from Recommendation 6.6 of Strengthening Skills: Expert Review of the Vocational Education and Training System by the Hon. Steven Joyce, which found careers development information in Australia to be multilayered, difficult to navigate, and in need of a single source of information on the main careers in Australia. The release of Your Career will represent a key milestone for the NCI in the strengthening and streamlining of careers information.

School Leavers Information Kit and School Leavers Information Service

The School Leavers Information Kit and School Leavers Information Service will help school leavers navigate the changed labour market as a result of COVID-19.  Information about both initiatives can be found on the Your Career website: https://yourcareer.gov.au/school-leavers-support/

In Term 4 (weeks commencing 5 and 12 October) school leavers across the country will receive an information card, or brochure, inviting them to view the School Leavers Information Kit Your Career: What’s next for you?.  The kit has a range of resources to help young people navigate their education, training and career options (attached).

The School Leavers Information Service 1800 CAREER (1800 227 337) offers a triage service to assist callers to navigate the School Leavers Information Kit. It will also help school leavers use the Your Career website and where necessary, will refer callers to relevant government programs or support services.

Callers may also be referred to a personalised career guidance session with a qualified career practitioner for up to 45 minutes, where needed. Young people also have the option to text the Service by texting SLIS2020 to 0429 009 435 or they can email through schoolleavers.nci@dese.gov.au.

I have attached fact sheets on the initiatives mentioned above which outline some of the key features you can expect to see, which you are very welcome to share. I have also attached the School Leaver information kit, which I would also welcome you to use to promote the availability of these initiatives to your networks.

Further information about the initiatives are being published on the website at nci.dese.gov.au.

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To be eligible for the Job Accelerator Grant scheme the new position needs to meet the following conditions:

• the person is employed in a new job on a full-time, part-time or casual basis, but not on a seasonal basis;
• the employment commences between 1 July 2016 and 30 June 2018 inclusive;
• the employment is maintained for a period of 2 years to be eligible for the full grant, or 12 months to be eligible for the partial grant;
• the services of the employee are performed wholly or mainly in SA; and
• the employee is a South Australian resident.

For businesses liable for payroll tax in South Australia, a grant of up to $5 000 is available for each new job created and the increase is maintained for at least 12 months, and up to $10 000 if the increase in full-time equivalent employees is maintained for 2 years. For part time and casual employees, the grant is pro-rated, and will be paid based on actual hours worked.

Businesses that are not liable for payroll tax in South Australia, or any organisation exempt from payroll tax in South Australia, a grant of up to $2 000 is available for each new job created and the increase is maintained for at least 12 months, and up to $4 000 if the increase in employees is maintained for 2 years. An additional requirement for this grant is that the new employee, regardless whether it is a full time, part time or casual position must work on average 22 hours or more per week across the grant period to be eligible.

As part of the 2017-18 State Government Budget announcement, businesses that register a new employee for a Job Accelerator Grant will receive up to an additional $5000 ($2 500 per year) if that employee is an eligible apprentice or trainee where the position is also deemed to be eligible for the Job Accelerator Grant.

The grant is paid at the 12 month and 24 month anniversary of the job start date.

More information and to register for the grant can be accessed from http://www.revenuesa.sa.gov.au/jobs or our staff are available to speak to Monday to Friday 8:30am -5pm (excluding public holidays) on 8226 2210.

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Around $1.3 billion worth of Federal Government money currently given to states to help subsidise affordable rental homes will be conditional upon states delivering upon housing supply targets and reforming their planning systems as part of a suite of new measures designed to increase housing supply and affordability.

Unveiled by Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison in his Budget Speech 2017, the measure is part of a package of measures designed to unlock critical housing supply across major cities.

Under the measures, the Federal Government will replace the current National Affordable Housing Agreement which provides $1.3 billion each and every year to the state and territories with a new set of agreements which will contain the same levels of funding but which will be conditional upon states delivering upon housing supply targets and reforming their planning systems.

Other measures included on the supply side of the equation include:

• Establishment of a new $1 billion National Housing Infrastructure Facility based on a UK model to fund ‘micro’ city deals which remove infrastructure impediments to developing new homes.
• Establish a Commonwealth land registry detailing Commonwealth sites on which land could be made available for residential development.
• Establish a new National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation to provide long-term, low cost finance to support more affordable rental housing. States and territories will also be encouraged to transfer stock to the community housing sector.
• Enabling Managed Investment Trusts to be used to develop and own affordable housing, providing investors in affordable housing with greater income certainty by enabling a direct deduction of welfare payments.
• Increasing the capital gains tax discount to 60 percent for affordable housing.
• Extending homelessness funding to the states by $375 million.
• Encouraging older Australians to free up housing stock by enabling downsizers over the age of 65 to make a non-concessional contribution of up to $300,000 into their superannuation fund from the proceeds of the sale of their principal home.
• Applying an annual foreign investment levy of at least $5,000 on all future foreign investors who fail to either occupy or lease their property for at least six months each year.

Morrison said the measures were significant. In Melbourne, for instance, land for a new suburb which could cater for 6,000 new homes will be unlocked just 10 kilometres from the CBD in Maribyrnong by releasing surplus Defence Land.

As for the measures regarding managed investment trusts and capital gains tax, Morrison said these would help to facilitate states and territories to implement inclusionary zoning requirements on new development sites.

Morrison said a comprehensive approach was needed in order to make housing more affordable.

“If a family or an individual has a roof over their head that they can rely on, then all of life’s other challenges become more manageable,” Morrison said.

“Whether you are saving to buy a home, spending a high proportion of income on your rent, waiting for subsidised housing, or you’re homeless, this is an important issue to you.”

Originally published: https://sourceable.net/federal-government-beefs-up-housing-supply/

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In a wake-up call to government, Peter Noonan said VET students,many from poor backgrounds, were at risk of having a “hoax”perpetrated on them as government training subsidies progressively were cut and they were forced to pay rising fees while funding for schools and universities had soared.

Faced with negligible funding for vocational training, schools exert their energies on preparing students for university entry rather than skills training. And that trend is being exacerbated by funding cuts inVET that are undermining the quality and status of training for those who choose that stream.

“School-leavers are entitled to a good post-school experience, not some cut-price quickie thing,” Mr Noonan, a fellow at VictoriaUniversity’s Mitchell Institute, told the HES yesterday.

Earlier, addressing the TAFE Directors Australia conference inSydney, he called for an immediate and independent assessment of vocational education, warning that the ability of the sector to deliver needed workforce skills was being put at risk.

“What is emerging instead is a system in which demand and provision is driven by the availability of funding and the pursuit of prestige,” he said, pointing to the extensive growth in university enrolments in recent years.

“Ongoing growth at reduced funding rates (in VET) is a recipe for poor student experiences and poor outcomes. This fact is missed by most public and press commentary driven (by people) who can only deal with issues in the sectors in which they have any direct experience,” he said.

Underscoring the scale of the under-investment in VET, Mr Noonan said between 2004 and last year total operating spending by all governments rose by about 15 per cent to $6.8 billion a year, but that was dwarfed by a 23 per cent rise in school spending to $40bn a year and a 40 per cent rise in higher education spending to $23bn a year.

On a per-student basis, spending has gone backwards. Between 1999and 2011 per student government VET spending fell by 25 per cent against a 30 per cent rise in spending per primary school student and a20 per cent rise per secondary school student. In higher education, per student spending has been largely flat.

The lack of investment in VET was even worse than the numbers suggested because Victoria has dramatically boosted total spending after it deregulated its training market in 2008. Last year more than half the state’s TAFE colleges lost money as they struggled to compete. Mr Noonan said governments needed to support TAFEs properly.

“We must be prepared to value TAFE as a public institution, just as it appears we are prepared to recognise the intrinsic value of public universities,” he said.

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http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JX9WF5T

We offer a flexible service, giving employers the flexibility to send their apprentices in when it best suits their business. Apprentices are not required to stick to allocated weeks to attend trade school, just call or email to organise a time outside of our suggested dates. Onsite assessments are available for all first year units, and some second and third year subjects. There are some subjects that cannot be completed onsite unless a specific project is being completed, this includes mosaic tiling, running moulds, decorative brickwork and other more advanced units in brick & block laying, rendering, solid plastering, tiling, and wall & ceiling lining.

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FCTA – Building Careers has been offering onsite assessments for apprentices for over 10 years. Occasionally during this time we have had employers request full onsite assessment, with no attendance at trade school. This is not possible. Quality training of all units of an apprenticeship cannot be delivered solely onsite. Some examples of these units are decorative bricklaying, glass block work, fireplaces, tiling curved surfaces and restoring solid plasterwork, to name a few. These units are not part of most builders everyday jobs. They do form part of the training package for apprentices though, and we are obligated to ensure apprentices are trained in all areas of their qualification.

For regional apprentices we offer help in finding accommodation when attendance is required. For apprentices with prior experience we can offer ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ (RPL) assessment, that may reduce the time required at trade school. For employers snowed under by paperwork, we can offer assistance with claiming incentives. If at any time you need advice or help about your apprentice we are available on phone, or email. We offer quality training, and provide assistance and flexibility to all employers and their apprentices.

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