Financial Assistance Available

Tools For Your Trade

The TFYT payments are five tax exempt payments provided to support Australian Apprentices with the cost of their training, purchases or relevant tools and other costs associated with their apprenticeship. The payments of up to $5,500 are paid directly to the apprentice (if their meet the eligibility criteria).

Your MEGT Australian Apprenticeships Centre Consultant will be able to confirm your eligibility for the TFYT payments. For more information please phone 1800 557 875.

Support for Adult Australian Apprentices (SAAA)

To encourage the upskilling of adult workers an additional payment of up to $13,000 is available to eligible apprentices (aged 25 years or over) or their employers when undertaking a qualification that leads to an occupation on the National Skills Needs List.

Eligibility criteria apply – contact MEGT for further information on 1800 557 875.

Living Away From Home Allowance (LAFHA)

LAFHA provides assistance to eligible apprentices or trainees in their first three years where they have moved away from their parent’s or guardian’s home in order to take up or remain in an apprenticeship or traineeship. An application form must be submitted to MEGT at the commencement of your apprenticeship or traineeship.

For more information please phone 1800 557 875.

Youth Allowance/ AUSTUDY/ ABSTUDY

Apprentices and trainees may have eligibility to access Youth Allowance, AUSTUDY or ABSTUDY. For further information, please contact Centrelink to determine whether you meet the criteria for one of these allowances.

For more information contact Centrelink on 13 3633 or apply online at www.centrelink.gov.au and follow the online services links.

Additional Programs

For information about other financial assistance programs (e.g. possibility of obtaining a Heath Care Card), please speak to your MEGT Australian Apprenticeships Centre Consultant on 1800 557 875.

DFEEST – Travel Allowance

The travel and accommodation allowance is the State Government’s contribution towards an apprentice’s or trainee’s travel and accommodation costs incurred while attending off-the-job training.

Apprentices/trainees who reside in a nonmetropolitan area and travel a round trip distance in excess of 150km to attend their training may be eligible to receive travel and accommodation allowances. For key eligibility criteria and to access further information on the process for making travel and accommodation claims, contact TAS on FREECALL 1800 673 097 or visit www.training.sa.gov.au.

Apprentice Support – Tuition Funding

Tuition Incentive Funding is a payment of up to $1,600 over the course of the apprenticeship, with a maximum payment cap of $800 in the first year.

Since January 2008, only authorised RTOs claim Tuition fees from the CITB on the Apprentice/Trainees behalf. This means the RTO will pass the support funding discount directly onto the Apprentice/Trainee at the point of payment.

Please note that:

• This payment is ONLY claimable after the Apprentice/Trainee has completed their probation period;
• Only one claim can be made per calendar year and all claims must be lodged and processed before the end of that calendar year.

Tuition funding includes:

• Apprentice enrolment fees (not current worker programs eg licenses)
• Specified approved codes and standards integral to the course:
• Plumbing and Gas Codes
• Electrical Code

Please note that claims will NOT be accepted for WORK BOOKS, TOOLS, CLOTHING or TRANSPORTATION costs.

To obtain Tuition Funding, you need to have a valid CITB ID Card, be studying in an eligible vocation, and have passed your probationary period.

Claiming

This function is only available to authorised RTOs.

Apprentice Eligibility

An eligible Apprentice/Trainee is one who works in the SA building and construction industry for a minimum of 80% of their time. Building and construction work is defined as the construction, erection, renovation, demolition or removal of a building, structure or civil works. It does not include maintenance, servicing or installation work conducted on existing buildings, structures or civil works.

An eligible Apprentice is also someone who is undertaking training in one of the following vocations: