Apprentices
Apprentices in high-demand industries (including Chefs) will get up to $5000 in cash payments for the first two years of their training but wage subsidies will be scaled back for employers.
The renamed Australian Apprenticeships Incentives Scheme has been re targeted so that apprentices, as well as employers, receive financial incentives.
Under the scheme, from July 1 employers in “priority occupations” will receive 10 per cent wage subsidy for first and second-year apprentices and 5 per cent for third years. The subsidy caps out at $15,000. Employers in regional areas will receive an additional 5 per cent wage subsidy for each of the three years of an apprentice’s training.
In a measure aimed at tackling dropout rates among young tradies, those aged between 15 and 20 will receive a follow-up call within three months of starting their apprenticeships to iron out any early issues and the government will fund 2500 more in-training support places.
Tourism Research
The Budget allocates $2 million for a new “visitor economy online employment and skills platform” as well as $4.8 million for Tourism Research Australia “to capture and analyse more tourism and visitor data to help businesses operating in the visitor economy make improved business decisions,”
Working Holiday makers
To help address skills shortages, the current caps on Working Holiday Makers will have a one off 30% increase in 2022/23.
Training
With the aim of encouraging small businesses to train new staff and upskill existing employees, small businesses that invest in training new employees will receive a $120 tax deduction for every $100 spent on training employees.
Read the budget papers here

On the 1st of December the state government announced several new marketing campaigns to attract overseas visitors and workers to the state:

• A campaign tailored to specifically address the skills shortage by attracting workers, such as backpackers for hospitality.
• A student attraction scheme will be in place to help international students choose WA as their place to study, including up to $1,500 in accommodation support for the first 5,000 students.
• A $65 million aviation fund, which will go towards re-establishing international and interstate flight routes that were disrupted by the pandemic, as well as targeting new routes including Germany, India, China and Vietnam.
• Incentives will also be offered to tourists, international students and workers in order to successfully compete with other global jurisdictions. This will include expanding the Stay and Play campaign, which offers discounts for those who stay in participating hotels, as well as vouchers for tours and experiences.
• An immediate additional $9 million funding boost to attract blockbuster international events to Perth and WA.
• $15 million to target business events to attract international conferences to Perth, an essential initiative to support CBD hotel occupancy as well as the hospitality industry.

​Read the full media statement 

The McGowan Government has announced funding for the construction of new state-of-the-art training facilities at North Regional TAFE's Broome and Kununurra campuses.
As part of the Rebuilding our TAFEs plan, $10 million has been allocated for a hospitality training centre in Broome, and $6 million has been allocated for a health and hospitality trade training centre at the Kununurra campus.
The new centre in Broome will provide students with a contemporary training environment and will be home to a new live works training restaurant and alfresco café. The centre will ensure students are job-ready and equipped to take up local employment opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industry as well as in the wider region such as catering in mine sites.
Live training restaurants add vibrancy to local communities and foster better industry partnerships while delivering industry-standard training.
The upgrades at North Regional TAFE's are part of the $167.4 million investment in capital works projects.
Read the full ministerial media statement.

As part of the WA Recovery Plan, the McGowan Government has announced a world-class hospitality and tourism training centre will be built at South Metropolitan TAFE's Mandurah campus.
The $9.17 million centre will replace an ageing home economics-style room to enable training of apprentice chefs in the Peel region. The centre will also focus on engaging local secondary students, young people and the long-term unemployed in vocational education and training.
The centre is set to improve the Peel region's capacity to train job-ready, highly skilled chefs, as well as front of house staff, event coordinators and tourism workers.
Read the full ministerial media statement.

Western Australian tourism company, Prendiville Group has purchased the former Fremantle Technical College.
​Plans include redeveloping part of the 2,400 square metre site to house a contemporary centre of excellence for hospitality management, which the Prendiville Group is seeking to partner with various institutions, to support hotels across the State, and create high-quality tourist experiences.
Short-term activation of the site will include opening a new alfresco food and beverage offering, with future potential for a hotel or student accommodation facility to front Norfolk Lane.
The sale will ensure that the State heritage-listed buildings, which are currently underutilised, will be restored and activated, making a positive contribution to the broader revitalisation of the Fremantle city centre.
Read the full ministerial media statement

Up to $6,000 in financial support is now available to employers who take on a displaced apprentice or trainee. The new Apprenticeship and Traineeship Re-engagement Incentive provides employers with a one-off payment of $6,000 for hiring an apprentice and $3,000 for hiring a trainee.

Employers who take on an apprentice or trainee whose training contract was terminated on, or after, March 1, 2020, are eligible to receive the payment. 

The incentive will help employers maintain a pipeline of skilled workers in Western Australia and is available until June 30, 2021 from the Department of Training and Workforce Development.

The financial boost for businesses follows the recent announcement by the State Government to cover the training costs for more than 3,000 apprentices and trainees, who have had their contracts cancelled or suspended, to continue their 'off the job' training for up to six months.

Read more about this government initiative.
For more about the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Re-engagement Incentive,

Visit  or call the Apprenticeship Office Helpline on 13 19 54.
Further support is also available at TAFE Jobs and Skills Centres or call 13 64 64.

Premier Mark McGowan has announced Phase 4 of WA's COVID-19 recovery will begin on Saturday, June 27. Major sporting and entertainment venues can now open, operating at 50 per cent capacity, and gyms will be able to operate unstaffed. Hospitality venues will not have to maintain a guest register and patrons will not have to be seated. Gathering limits will be determined by the 2sqm rule, which will also apply to staff at venues that hold more than 500 patrons. Phase 5, which will involve the removal of the 2sqm rule, is likely to come into effect on July 18. Phase 6 will see borders reopen, but no date has been announced.
Media statement.

The SEEK Employment Report for May 2020 shows month-on-month growth in the overall number of jobs advertised. While figures are still down compared to the same time last year (-52.5%), month-on-month growth in jobs advertised is 39.7%.
Hospitality & tourism outperformed all other sectors, with month-on-month job ads in the industry up 138%.
“We are encouraged to see industries which were hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic rebounding at a good pace”, says Kendra Banks, managing director, SEEK ANZ. “Authorities gave businesses the green light to restart their operations, resulting in increased hiring activity. Top jobs in the sector included chefs and cooks and front of house staff.”
SEEK Employment Report, May 2020

The Department of Training and Workforce Development will cover training costs for more than 3,000 apprentices and trainees who have had their contracts cancelled or suspended. Fees have been scrapped to enable apprentices and trainees to continue their training 'off the job' for up to six months.
More than half of the apprentices and trainees impacted so far are in hospitality, tourism, wholesale and retail services, personal services, finance, property and business services, and building and construction.
Fees will be paid directly to training providers, available from July 1, 2020.
Media statement.