Employers and apprentices will receive more support from the government with a further $1.5 billion committed to expand the apprentice and trainee wage subsidy scheme.
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Roughly 539 small businesses in the electorate of Cowper, those with up to 20 employees, are already accessing the apprentice wage subsidy helping to retain over 800 local apprentices and trainees.
Employers of any size, and Group Training Organisations that re-engage an out of trade apprentice are also eligible.
Federal Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan welcomed the funding and the $500 million JobTrainer scheme, saying now medium businesses with 199 or fewer employees would be eligible for apprentice wage support.
"I know local businesses have been doing it tough with about three-quarters of businesses suffering a direct impact from COVID-19," he said.
"I welcome the relief of an additional $1.5 billion for the Supporting Apprentices and Trainees measure.
"This means the 539 small businesses in Cowper already receiving the 50 per cent apprentice wage subsidy will receive it for a further six months, until March 2021.
"In addition, it will enable businesses with apprentices who were previously ineligible to now receive support as medium businesses with up to 199 employees are now eligible for the wage subsidy for apprentices in place on July 1 2020."