The federal government has extended its wage subsidy scheme for apprentices and trainees for another year, with the view of creating 70,000 new positions.

Eligible employers can apply for a wage subsidy of 50 per cent of the apprentice’s or trainee’s wage paid during the 9 months from 1 July 2020 to 31 March 2021, up to a cap of $7,000 per quarter. Employers of any size including Group Training Organisations that re engage an eligible out of trade apprentice or trainee will also be eligible for the subsidy.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the cap on the program, which has created 100,000 apprenticeships since it was launched last October, would be removed  with an estimated price tag of $1.2 billion.

“We’re extending it out until the end of September this year, a full 12 months of support for these new apprentices coming on board,” Mr Morrison said.

“Those people aren’t just young people, about a third of those people who have come into this program have been aged over the age of 35.

“We think it will generate at least another 70,000 new apprenticeships, but I suspect it will do better than that.”

The program was created to secure jobs for apprentices amid fears the pandemic would have a crippling effect on employment.

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash said the extension would mean any business that signed up a new apprentice between now and September 30 would get a full 12 months of the subsidy.

“And for those businesses who did the right thing and they assisted us getting those 100,000 new apprentices on the job … their apprenticeship wage subsidy will also be turned into a full 12-month wage subsidy,” she said.

“Today, we uncapped the program so across Australia, any business, any size, any region, can now sign up apprentices.”

Registrations are open.

Visit the Department of Education, Skills and Employment website.

Visit the Australian Apprenticeships website.