Employees….where are they all?
One of the common themes we’re hearing from clients at the moment is ‘there’s a lack of good skilled workers available for employment right now’. This has been further exacerbated with minimal international citizens allowed into Australia under our Covid restrictions.
For those clients located in South East Queensland the influx of people from the southern states was expected to bring in people with skills needed by business. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case, with many people relocating from interstate now working from home (in Queensland) for their existing southern employers.
So what’s the answer for Queensland employers? Well one option is to train the skills you need in-house. Not only does this result in training workers to your exact needs, you also may be able to get assistance for this training from the government. Here’s how.
When you employ an apprentice or trainee in Queensland, you may be eligible for financial support to reduce the cost of training and supervision throughout the apprenticeship or traineeship.
Financial support comes in many forms:
- one-off incentive payments. For more information on this incentive visit,
https://backtowork.initiatives.qld.gov.au/for-employers/ - subsidies (wages, training). For more information on this subsidy visit,
https://desbt.qld.gov.au/training/training-careers/incentives/free-apprenticeships - discounts (workers compensation). For more information on this discount visit,
https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/claims-and-insurance/workcover-insurance/premium-calculation/how-to-reduce-your-premium - exemptions (payroll tax). For more information on this exemption visit,
https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/employing/payroll-tax/exemptions/apprentice-trainee-rebate
Support payments do not cover the full cost of employing an apprentice or trainee. But, depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for more than one kind of payment.
There are also Australian Government incentives to help with hiring and training an apprentice or trainee. More information about these incentives can be found at
https://www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/aus-employer-incentives
We understand taking on the role of training an employee is not viable for every employer, however you’ll be amazed at the incentives on offer from the government to make this option attractive.
Author
Kim Jay