Finding people with the right skills for your business can be difficult. Have you considered taking on people facing barriers to employment? The government offers a range of funding and incentive schemes for businesses that support people with a disability, Indigenous Australians, the long term unemployed and the mature-aged. For further information on available incentives and support services see the tables below.
General incentives
In the table below you will find a list of general incentives and support services available to employers hiring people facing barriers to employment.
| Name |
Description |
Administering agency |
| Employer Demand Demonstration Projects |
Grant funding for businesses that develop innovative ways of recruiting, employing and retaining employees that are parents, mature aged, the very long term unemployed and people with a disability. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Employer Support Payment (ESP) Scheme |
The ESP Scheme provides financial assistance to eligible employers to help offset the costs of releasing employees for most categories of Australian Defence Force service. |
Department of Defence |
| Work Experience Placement programme (WEP) |
The WEP programme covers the personal accident and general liability insurance costs of businesses with job vacancies who offer work experience to disadvantaged job seekers. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Workplace English Language and Literacy (WELL) Program |
Provides funding for businesses to train workers in the English language, literacy and numeracy skills. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
Hiring people with a disability
In the table below you will find a list of incentives and support services available to employers hiring people with a disability.
| Name |
Description |
Administering agency |
| Auslan for Employment Programme |
Provides education and training to support new deaf employees, and existing deaf employees who use Auslan. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Disabled Australian Apprentice Wage Support |
Provides ongoing support and assistance for employers who currently employ an apprentice with a disability and has been assessed as a person requiring assistance. |
Australian Apprenticeships |
| JobAccess |
JobAccess provides employers with information on employing people with a disability, including hiring, incentives, training and work strategies. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Supported Wage System (SWS) |
SWS is a process that allows eligible employers to pay less than the minimum wage by matching a person's productivity with a fair wage. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Wage Subsidy Scheme |
The Wage Subsidy Scheme offers financial assistance to employers of a person with a disability or someone who may be experiencing other barriers to employment. It helps pay wages in the first few months of employment. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Workplace Modifications Scheme (WMS) |
The WMS provides financial support for costs involved in modifying the workplace or purchasing special or adaptive equipment for eligible and existing employees with a disability. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
Hiring Indigenous Australians
In the table below you will find a list of incentives and support services available to employers hiring Indigenous Australians.
| Name |
Description |
Administering agency |
| Corporate Leaders for Indigenous Employment Project (CLIEP) |
CLIEP offers flexible packages of funding to companies to develop Indigenous employment strategies and practices. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Indigenous Portal |
The Indigenous portal website lists a number of Australian Government programs and services available to help Indigenous Australians and their employers. |
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) |
| National Indigenous Cadetship Project (NICP) |
NICP provides grants to businesses that provide work experience, professional guidance or ongoing employment to full-time Indigenous tertiary students. The grant is to help employers to support cadets with a living allowance and study-related costs and offset employer adminstration costs. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Structured Training and Employment Projects (STEP) |
STEP provides funding and support to private sector businesses that provide ongoing employment to Indigenous Australians. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Wage Assistance |
Wage Assistance is a payment given to Australian employers as an incentive to employ Indigenous Australians on an on-going basis. Wage Assistance offers salary subsidies for full-time and part-time work. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
Hiring the long term unemployed
In the table below you will find a list of incentives and support services available to employers hiring the long term unemployed.
| Name |
Description |
Administering agency |
| NeedStaff |
NeedStaff provides information on initiatives and incentives available to employers providing people on income support with job opportunities. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Wage Assist |
Wage Assist is a wage subsidy program available to employers who provide on-going, full-time (or employment that is sufficient to take the job seeker off benefits) work opportunities for Very Long Term Unemployed (VLTU) job seekers. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
Hiring mature aged workers
In the table below you will find a list of incentives and support services available to employers hiring mature aged workers.
| Name |
Description |
Administering agency |
| JobWise |
JobWise provides information and employer support regarding potential mature age employees. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Mature Age Employment and Workplace Strategy (MAEWS) |
MAEWS provides information and services for employers of mature aged workers. |
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) |
| Mature Aged Worker Incentive |
Provides businesses with incentives for employing and training mature aged apprentices. |
Australian Apprenticeships |