Employer enquiries about Apprenticeship Wage Subsidies (AWS) 043-22032123

Services Australia provides an inbound telephony service on behalf of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) for employer enquiries about the following Apprenticeship Wage Subsidies (AWS):

• Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements (BAC)
• Completing Apprenticeship Commencements (CAC), and

From October 2022 to July 2024, the agency also assisted employers with enquiries about the Priority Wage Subsidy (PWS). From August 2024, responsibility for all claim verification and enquiries about PWS was transferred to the Apprentice Connect Australia Provider.

Employers contact the agency via the Apprenticeships Wage Subsidy (AWS) line. Do not transfer calls to or from the line.

Note: there are several apprenticeship wage subsidies, employers or apprentices could claim under the Australian Apprenticeship Incentive System (the Incentive System) or Australian Apprenticeship Incentives Program (AAIP). The agency only supports service delivery for BAC and CAC. To prevent confusion, refer to each subsidy by its name (BAC or CAC) when speaking with employers rather than the collective term 'Apprenticeship Wage Subsidy'.

Staff use the Apprenticeship Data Management System (ADMS) to manage employer enquiries.

Refer employers to their Apprentice Connect Australia Provider for enquiries about:

• eligibility for an AWS
• advice on the AWS registration process
• general AWS information
• claims for wages paid from 5 October 2020 to 31 December 2021
• questions about grandfathering arrangements for the Australian Apprenticeship Incentive Program (including BAC and CAC)
• enquiries about other apprentice wage subsidies (for example, PWS or Hiring Incentive)

Refer employers in the first instance to the Australian Apprenticeships website for enquires about:

• myGov/myGov ID registration and accessing ADMS
• assistance with claim navigation in ADMS
• general advice about subsidy payments and calculations

Where employers indicate they would prefer telephony assistance or their enquiry relates to an appeal or complaint, refer them to the Department of Education Student enquiry line (option 3).

Employers may contact to enquire about the progress of a submitted BAC or CAC claim, see Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements (BAC) and Completing Apprenticeship Commencements (CAC) wage subsidies.

Determine claim progress by:

• checking the AWS claim application status, and
• reviewing the Comments and Service Notes in ADMS

When assisting employers with progress of claim enquiries:

• record a Service Note in ADMS detailing the discussion and any actions taken
• do not make updates to the claim status in ADMS, unless directed to in the Operational Blueprint

Services Australia Local Peer Support (LPS) will manage claims referred to the DEWR AWSE line. Advise employers enquiring on the progress of these claims that their claim has been escalated for investigation and will be progressed as soon as possible after resolution. The DEWR AWSE line is for Services Australia LPS only, do not give the number to employers.