The 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 $36,500 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 employers, hiring an apprentice can offer a way to build the capacity of their business. However, apprentices require on-the-job training, which is an investment on behalf of the employer. The Employer Grant is an incentive for construction employers to invest in the training and mentorship of apprentices in the WA construction workforce.
Grant amounts
The Employer Grant base rate will increase on 1 July 2024. Businesses that employ apprentices for 36-months and 48-months will be eligible for a base grant of $15,000. Businesses employing apprentices or trainees for 18-months and 24-months will be eligible for a base grant of $12,500 and 12-month apprenticeship grants for employers will be increased to $6,250.
1 July 2024 base grant increases
| Duration of Apprenticeship | Up to 30 June 2023 | Up to 30 June 2024 | From 1 July 2024 |
| 12-month | $4,000 | $5,000 | $6,250 |
| 18-month | $8,000 | $10,000 | $12,500 |
| 24-month | $8,000 | $10,000 | $12,500 |
| 36-month | $8,000 | $12,000 | $15,000 |
| 36-month | $10,000 | $12,000 | $15,000 |
| 42-month | $10,000 | $12,000 | $15,000 |
| 48-month | $8,000 | $12,000 | $15,000 |
| 48-month | $10,000 | $12,000 | $15,000 |
In addition to the base grant, additional bonuses are available for employing someone who has completed a pre-apprenticeship, lives regionally, is female, indigenous, or is mature-aged.
As bonuses are calculated as a percentage of the base grant, they will also increase from 1 July 2024.
| Grant Bonus | % of Base Grant up to 30 June 2024 | % of Base Grant from 1 July 2024 |
| Regional south | 10% | 10% |
| Regional north | 20% | 20% |
| Indigenous | 30% | 30% |
| Female | 20% | 40% |
| Mature-age | 20% | 40% |
Employers have the potential to receive a grant of up to $36,500. To find out how much you could receive, please use our Employer Funding Calculator.
Employers and Group Training Organisations (GTOs) supporting students on or from 1 July 2024 will automatically benefit from these changes. No action is required on the part of Employers or GTOs.
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 if I hire an apprentice?
Whether your business is eligible for the grant depends upon the area of work, the apprentice’s qualification, and documentation.
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, or contact us.
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 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 if they hire an apprentice?
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 find out if a trainee is eligible for the grant is to check the Table of Employer Grants or speak with a CTF staff member.
Read our article What’s the Difference Between a Traineeship and an Apprenticeship? for more information.
How do I claim the Employer Grant?
There is no requirement to submit an application to the CTF.
The CTF conduct an assessment and request documentation from the nominated employer at the relevant payment milestone due dates. Those emails are set to send to the nominated email on your account in WAAMS – please ensure your email address is up to date.
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. More information can be found in the FAQs below.
To learn about other grants your business may be eligible for, please visit the Employer Funding page.
- The CTF Increase in base grant will be available to all current, eligible Western Australian employers and group training organisations employing apprentices and trainees in qualifications recognised in the CTF employer grant program.
- It also includes all new apprentice and trainee commencements.
- This includes those employed via direct indenture and group training organisations.
- All trades covered by Construction Training Fund.
Employer Grant
What is the Employer Grant Program?+
The Employer Grant Program provides financial support to Western Australian construction employers when hiring an apprentice.
What is the base grant increase?+
The Employer Grant from CTF has a base rate and bonus supplements which is dependent on the apprenticeship/traineeship qualification. The base rate of the grant attached to each qualification is determined by the CTF Board.
In 2024/25 this Program will increase the base grant for all three and four‐year indentures to a standardised base level of $15,000 for all new commencements; with commensurate increases for all other (12 and 24 month) indentures.
There will be a transition of all current, active Employer Grant funding structures to the new standardised base grant.
When will the base grant increase commence?+
The increase to the base grant will apply from 1 July 2024. It will be valid for all eligible existing and new apprenticeships and traineeships currently supported by Construction Training Fund.
Who is the grant available to?+
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.
I’m an employer, when will I receive the grant?+
Typically, the sum of the total grant available is made to an eligible employer in three instalments of equal value.
The first instalment is paid to an employer when the apprentice/trainee has successfully completed six months of continuous, full‐time employment with a single employer.
The second instalment is paid at the half‐way point of the indicated nominal term and the final payment is made upon successful completion.
The final payment may be adjusted if the apprentice completes the qualification ahead of the agreed nominal term in the training contract.
All claims for grants by employers or group training organisations directly employing apprentices/trainees must be made directly to CTF.
How do the grant changes affect my existing apprentices? +
If you employ apprentices and trainees who started their training under the previous funding structure (before 1 July 2024), you will automatically transition to the new structure.
If your apprentice or trainee has a milestone between 1 July and 31 December 2024, the current payment will be paid, and a top up payment will be paid in 2025. The top up payment will be the difference between instalment amounts under the previous funding structure (before 1 July 2024) and new funding structure.
For example, your apprentice is currently on a three‐year indenture ($12,000 base grant). You have received two of three instalments, and the third instalment is due in October 2024. You will be paid the third instalment in October at the previous rate (e.g. $4,000). In 2025, you will receive a top up payment of $1,000 ($15,000/3)-$4,000 = $1,000)
This applies to employers (direct indenture) and GTOs.
You do not need to apply for the top up payment.
How do the grant changes affect new apprentices? +
Any apprentices or trainees starting their training from 1 July 2024 onwards will be registered under the new funding structure.
If you have never employed an apprentice or trainee before, you need to ensure the training contract is registered in the WAAMS client portal. After that, we initiate the grant contract and the instalment payments to you.
How much are employers eligible for?+
Our employer grants range from $6,250 to $15,000. 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 Apprenticeship Management System (WAAMS), we receive the relevant information from 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
· The completion of a work history form, if applicable.
Please note the emails are set to send to the nominated email on your Account – any updates to that email must be made in WAAMS.
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 1 July 2019, you need to declare if you intend to engage with CTF for these apprentices/trainees.
Does the qualification affect the base grant amount? +
No. From 1 July 2023, the base grant amount is standardised by indenture term, rather than by qualification. For example, all students undertaking an eligible three‐year construction apprenticeship will be paid the same base grant ($15,000) regardless of their specific qualification.
Under the previous funding structure, the base grant amount was determined by qualification.
What do I need to do? +
Nothing. So long as your apprentice or trainee is registered in the WAAMS client portal, they will automatically transition to the new funding structure.
We will pay you the instalment amount and/or top up payment as it falls due ‐ you do not need to make a claim.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at info@ctf.wa.gov.au or on (08) 9244 0100.
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 EIS may apply. Please contact the Apprenticeship Office on 13 19 54 to discuss
· If you are not 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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