1. Eligibility
To be eligible, you will need to comply with the following:
From the 1st of July 2022, the Commonwealth Government has included travel consultants on the Australian Apprenticeship Priority List (AAPL) for those eligible and are commencing their courses from 1 January 2023. The following list confirms that travel consultant positions are eligible to receiving incentives for apprentices/trainees, employers and the registered training providers.
- As the travel sector is more conducive to a Traineeship (Up to 2 years) than an Apprenticeship (Up to 3 years), recruits will fall under the Traineeship scheme of the AAPL.
- For an employer to receive a priority hiring incentive, it must meet all primary eligibility requirements and the recruit must be undertaking Certificate III or above qualification with an occupational outcome as listed on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List as highlighted in the above table, i.e. a Certificate III in Travel (SIT30222), Certificate III in Tourism (SIT30122) with Travel Electives, or Certificate IV in Travel and Tourism (SIT30122) at a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) such as TAFE or private training providers that deliver such qualifications. (We can help you with this)
- Employers taking on a trainee training towards an occupation listed on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List may be eligible to receive up to $5,000 in incentive payments in the first year, to help subsidise costs associated with employing a trainee. Payments will be paid over two instalments, with $2,000 at 6 months and $3,000 at 12 months (full-time) or $1,000 at 6 months and $1,500 at 12 months (part-time) (We can guide you here)
Trainees and Employers who commenced prior to 30 June 2024 will continue to receive the priority wage subsidy as a result of the grandfathering arrangements.
Qualification details
Please refer to the previous page for a detailed explanation of Certificate III in Travel (SIT30222) or refer to the following link:
https://training.gov.au/Training/Details/SIT30222
Certificate III in Travel is a nationally accredited course designed by us in conjunction with the Skills Council for Tourism, Travel & Hospitality, known as Service Skills Australia for the travel sector specifically with intensive industry input.
When you are all set to go with the employment, you may contact one of the many Australian Apprenticeship / Traineeship Support Network Providers (AASN) for all queries about apprenticeships or traineeships. There are Seven Apprenticeship (& Traineeship) Network providers, operating from around 130 full-time sites, with approximately 500 mobile field officers, are contracted by the Department of Education, Skill and Employment. You cannot start an Australian Apprenticeship without an Apprenticeship Network provider.
Apprenticeship (& Traineeship) Network providers give personalized advice and support services from pre-commencement to completion. Apprenticeship Network providers offer the following support services:
- Universal services:
- essential administrative support
- payment processing
- regular contact
- Targeted services for individuals who need extra support to complete their apprenticeship.
Before you decide to choose the right AASN provider, you should check the following:
Checklist questions regarding AASN Provider as follows:
- Do they have an office and/or staff based near your business?
- Do they have a national presence (if your business operates over other states)?
- What is their track record in meeting quality and compliance benchmarks?
- What are their completion rates?
- Can other businesses in your industry recommend them? Can they provide testimonials?
- Do they offer additional services besides essential ones? (for example, online tools that make your job easier)
- How responsive are they?
The Training Contract
The next step is to fill out the Training Contract between you – the employer and the Trainee – The employee. AASN provider will guide you write up the Training Contract. This is a formal contract approved by the relevant State or Territory Training Authority that established the terms and conditions of the Australian Apprenticeship. Each Australian Apprentice and employer must enter into a Training Contract to be eligible for payments under the Incentives System. The Training Contract is a state or territory requirement. Training Plan is a plan entered into between an Australian Apprentice, their employer and the Registered Training Organisation delivering the off-the-job training component of the Australian Apprenticeship. The Training Plan outlines how, when, where and by whom training will be delivered and how assessments will occur,
It will be signed by:
- you, the employer
- your apprentice or trainee
- their parent or guardian if they are aged under 18.
All the information on the training contract must be correct and truthful. If a contract has false or misleading information, it will not be registered.
Timing
- The training contract must be given to the AASN provider within 28 days of the start of the apprenticeship or traineeship.
- The training contract must be completed and signed by all parties within 14 days of the start of the apprenticeship or traineeship.
Lodging the contract
Once the training contract is completed, your AASN provider will lodge it with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, for registration.
Once the training contract is registered, you will get a letter from the department telling you that it has been officially registered. The acknowledgment letter will have important contract information such as:
- registration number
- length of probationary period (e.g. 30, 60 or 90 days)
- start or 'commencement' date
- end or 'nominal completion date
- occupational title (e.g. Business Level IV)
- qualification title (e.g. Certificate IV in Business)
- contract type (e.g. full-time, part-time or school-based)
- name of supervising registered training organization (SRTO).
- You will also receive a letter from your AASN provider explaining which government incentives you can claim. They will send all relevant claim forms.
Alternatively, please feel free to contact us at admin@afta.edu.au and we will liaise with the nearest AASN Provider in your State on your behalf.
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