General Manager of the Australian Brick and Blocklaying Foundation , Geoff Noble, has called on employers to take advantage of the Federal Government’s Kickstart Bonus for apprentices.
The foundation represents clay brick and concrete masonry manufacturers and was created to address the critical shortage of bricklayers.
“The Apprentice Kickstart Bonus will mean that employers who take on an apprentice during the period 1 December 2009 and 28 February 2010 will receive a total of $3,350 in instalments of $850 paid at the three month point of the apprenticeship and $2,500 paid at the nine month point of the apprenticeship.
“It is an ideal time to initiate the bonus as school leavers will be weighing up their career options and making decisions about their future. Importantly the Kickstart Bonus is in addition to Federal Government incentives already in place for employers to take on apprentices.
“It is particularly timely for the bricklaying industry where we are facing a severe shortage of skilled bricklayers to cope with the expected upturn in the construction industry in 2010. Apprentice sign ups are also needed to offset the future loss from an aging bricklaying workforce with 47% of bricklayers over the age of 40 and 24% over 50. Apprentice completions are well below the expected level of bricklayer departures,” said Geoff Noble.
The foundation provides a subsidy of $6,000, payable over three years, of the apprenticeship. This is additional to the Kickstart Bonus and $4,000 from the Federal Government.
The foundation subsidies and other support programs are funded by a levy of $2 per thousand on sales of bricks and 10 cents per square meter on concrete blocks. This is fully matched by the brick and block manufacturers.
“The Kickstart Bonus represents a great opportunity for bricklaying employers to build their team through the employment of an apprentice. The ABBTF, through its development managers in each state, can assist employers to find prospective apprenticeship applicants by phoning 1300 66 44 96. We can also advise employers on the range of other subsidies available for taking on apprentices,” added Noble.
Employers can also check their eligibility with their local Australian Apprenticeships Centre.