Small Business Apprenticeship Pilot Program

Small and family businesses can register to be reimbursed for construction apprentice wages during training, based on an average training period of 8 weeks each year and up to a total of 32 weeks.

Eligible small and family businesses can receive a wage subsidy during training periods, equivalent to 50% of the typical wage for first and second year construction apprentices and 25% in the third and fourth years.

Registrations for the wage subsidy will be open until the first 2,000 eligible apprentices are registered.

- 19 or less employees by headcount (excluding contractors)

- A maximum annual turnover not exceeding $10 million

- A full-time, part-time, or school-based apprentice who is attending training.

Your apprentice must:

- Be registered in a training contract in Queensland

- Have commenced from 1 July 2025 and still be undertaking the apprenticeship

- Be completing an eligible construction, plumbing, engineering or electrical apprenticeship from the list below

- Have completed probation (generally 90 days)

- Remain active in their apprenticeship at the time of each subsidy payment

- Be one of the first 2,000 apprentices registered as eligible.

An eligible employer can claim 4 payments as their eligible apprentice progresses through the block training periods. Payments will be made at quarterly milestones in the training.

Each payment provides a portion of apprentice wages for an average training period of 8 weeks per year, starting at a 50% subsidy of the typical first and second year wage and reducing to 25% in the third and fourth years.