Construction Training Fund (CTF) provides an Employer Grant to financially support Western Australian construction employers in hiring an apprentice. An eligible business can receive up to $26,000 from the grant, with the final amount dependent on individual circumstances.
The purpose of CTF’s Employer Grant
Apprentices are essential to the continual growth and prosperity of Western Australia’s construction industry. For businesses, hiring an apprentice can provide an economical wage scale, high energy output, and more. However, apprentices require on-the-job training, which is an investment on behalf of the employer. The Employer Grant is compensation for this training and mentorship – after all, a business should be rewarded for contributing to the growth of WA’s skilled workforce.
Grant amounts
The Employer Grant base rate increased on 1 July 2023. All 36-month and 48-month indentures will now have a standardised base grant of $12,000 (an increase of $2,000).12-month, 18-month and 24-month indentures will also have a base grant increase of between $1,000 to $2,000.
1 July 2023 base grant increases
| Apprentice/Traineeship Indenture Length | Up to 30 June 2023 | 1 July 2023 |
12-month | $4,000 | $5,000 |
| 18-month | $8,000 | $10,000 |
| 24-month | $8,000 | $10,000 |
| 36-month | $8,000 | $12,000 |
| 36-month | $10,000 | $12,000 |
| 42-month | $10,000 | $12,000 |
| 48-month | $8,000 | $12,000 |
| 48-month | $10,000 | $12,000 |
In addition to the base grant, additional supplements are available for employing someone who has completed a pre-apprenticeship, lives regionally, or is female, indigenous or mature-aged.
These supplements have also increased from 1 July 2023. They are calculated as a percentage of the base grant.
| Grant Supplement | % of Base Grant |
| Regional south | 10% |
| Regional north | 20% |
| Indigenous | 30% |
| Female | 20% |
| Mature-age | 20% |
Employers have the potential to receive a grant of up to $26,000. To find out how much you could receive, please use our Employer Funding Calculator.
As the Employer Grant program has not been adjusted since 2013, the increased grant and supplement payments will help offset the increased costs of training students. The changes reflect our continued support of employers in hiring and retaining construction apprentices and trainees.
Employers (direct indenture) and Group Training Organisations (GTOs) training students on or from 1 July 2023 will automatically benefit from these changes – no action required.
For more information on the grant changes and how they benefit you, please refer to our FAQs.
Is my business eligible for the Employer Grant?
Whether your business is eligible for the grant depends upon the area of work and the apprentice’s qualification and paperwork.
The list of apprentice certifications the Employer Grant covers is comprehensive, spanning most construction industry sectors, and includes Certificate II, III, and IV qualifications.
Additionally, the Department of Training and Workforce Development (DTWD) must recognise the submitted training contract as active for a business to be eligible for the grant.
For more information on what qualifications the grant covers, read our Levy Disbursement Guide.
Direct indenture
Employers are categorised as direct indenture if they directly employ an apprentice. Direct indenture involves the provision of on-the-job training aligned and in collaboration with a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).
The Employer Grant is totalled over the entirety of the apprenticeship, which is two to four years of full-time work. This includes formal classroom off-the-job training with the RTO, as well as real-world, on-site training. To qualify for a trade certificate, the apprentice must demonstrate practical competency and complete all training.
As a direct indenture employer, you and your worker are also connected to a member of the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network.
CTF pays the Employer Grant straight to direct indenture employers.
Group training organisations
Group training organisations (GTO) are institutions that employ apprentices and trainees and place them with affiliated businesses.
If the worker is employed through a GTO, the GTO receives the apprentice grant and uses it to reduce your hire-out rate. Look for this on the invoices they issue.
The GTO is responsible for organising off-the-job training on behalf of the worker and connecting the apprentice with an employer for on-site experience.
To be eligible for the Employer Grant under the GTO program, the GTO must meet the criteria on the GTO Funds Management Agreement document. You can access this upon request from the CTF team.
Can a sole trader or small business receive the Employer Grant?
There is no mandatory business size to be eligible for the Employer Grant. Eligibility is determined solely by the apprenticeship information, employment, and documentation.
Does the Employer Grant cover traineeships?
Yes, businesses that employ construction trainees are able to claim the Employer Grant. The easiest way to discover whether a trainee is eligible for the grant is to check the Table of Employer Grants or speak with a CTF staff member.
Apprenticeships and traineeships are similar in their on-the-job training and formal study requirements. However apprenticeships are strictly for trade jobs such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters and bricklayers. Traineeships differ in that they can be non-trade certificate qualifications – examples are site management, estimating, or civil supervision.
Read our article What’s the Difference Between a Traineeship and an Apprenticeship? for more information.
How do I claim the Employer Grant?
The first step is using the Employer Funding Calculator to get a grant estimate tailored to your circumstances. Input the apprentice’s qualification, postcode, pre-apprenticeship credentials, and whether they’re eligible for additional funding as a mature-aged, indigenous, or female apprentice.
Once you have an idea of the grant your business could receive, get in touch with the CTF team for further guidance. Visit the Employer Funding page to discover other grants your business may be eligible for.
Employer Grant
Who is eligible for employer grants?+
Our employer grants help cover the costs of employing apprentices and/or trainees during training contract.
Grants are available to eligible employers of apprentices/trainees that:
· Employ apprentices/trainees in specific building and construction qualifications; and
· Have registered the training contract with the Department of Training and Workforce Development (DTWD); and
· Can demonstrate primary and substantial direct involvement in WA’s construction industry, specifically in on-site construction, installation and/or fabrication activities.
Other eligibility criteria apply. We can only determine your eligibility once you have submitted your application. You can find out more in our Levy and Disbursement Guidelines.
How much are Employers eligible for?+
Our employer grants range from $5,000 to $12,000. Additional bonus payments may apply. You can use our Employer Funding Calculator to see how much you could be eligible for.
Grants are usually paid to employers in instalments based on these milestones:
1. When the apprentice/trainee has successfully completed six months of continuous, full-time employment (including probation) with a single employer; and
2. Half-way through the training contract; and
3. When the contract has been successfully completed.
Payments may be adjusted if the qualification is completed ahead of the agreed term, or if the training duration is less than what is specified in the training contract.
How do I submit a claim for an employer grant?+
Once the Apprenticeship contract has been registered in the Department of Training, Workforce & Development’s (DTWD) WA Apprentice Management System (WAAMS), we receive information from WAAMS which triggers our assessment for Employer Grant Program Funding.
There is no requirement to submit an application to the CTF.
Once information is received from WAAMS, we conduct an assessment and request information from the nominated Employer at payment milestone due dates. Those emails are set to send to the nominated email on your Account – any updates to that email must be made in WAAMS.
When your apprentice/trainee reaches a milestone (listed above) we will send you an email requesting:
· Copy of their payslip covering the period requested, and
· Completed work history form, if applicable.
Your claim will be processed in approx. 30 days from the date we receive your documents. If you do not receive an email from us when a milestone is reached, please contact us.
Am I eligible for CTF funding and the Jobs and Skills WA Employer Incentive Scheme (EIS)?+
No. You can access funding from either CTF (if eligible) or the EIS.
If you employ a new apprentice or trainee and have registered the training contract through the WA Apprenticeship Management System (WAAMS) portal on or after 1st July 2019, you need to declare if you intend to engage with CTF for these apprentices/trainees.
Should I apply to CTF or EIS?+
In some instances, we cannot determine eligibility based on the qualification alone. For example, a sheet metal worker or an electrician may work across a variety of sites that do not involve training in a construction environment.
· In this case, apply to CTF first (if you are working in the construction industry).
· If you are not eligible (and declined), then the EIS will be applied instead.
· If you aren’t sure if your apprentice/trainee is eligible for CTF funding but you intend to engage with us, you should declare ‘Yes’ in the CTF declaration in the WAAMS portal. This allows you to make an application to CTF first.
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