ADIA CEO Update - Advocacy update and business grants

As part of our regular stakeholder engagement this month I met with the following associations to catch up on their activities and to discuss upcoming events, such as the Refresh Masterclass Workshop on Tuesday 9 November 2021 and ADX Sydney 17-19 March 2022.

• Nick Williams (Chair) and Mel Pitto - NZDIG (NZ Dental Industry Group - part of MTANZ)
• Bill Suen (CEO) - Dental Hygienists’ Association of Australia
• Di Woolcock (Executive Officer) - Australian Dental Prosthetists Association (ADPA)
• Kerstin Baas (CEO) & Miranda Shoppee - Australian Society of Orthodontists (ASO)
• David Hallett (CEO) - Australian Dental Association Western Australia Branch (ADAWA)
• Lisa Rusten (CEO) and Madonna McManus - Australian Dental Association Queensland Branch (ADAQ)

On behalf of ADIA I also participated in group online discussions with:

• Hon. Anthony Albanese MP
• The Hon Stuart Robert MP, Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business
• Jeremy Ungar - Israeli Trade Association
• Mike Freelander MP (Chair) - Parliamentary Friends of Dentistry

The Exhibition and Event Association of Australia (EEAA), of which ADIA is a member, held its AGM this month. At this meeting I was appointed a Director. I attended the subsequent EEAA Board meeting.

I will continue to update you on the advocacy work ADIA undertakes on behalf of its members' interests.

Employers to receive wage subsidies

In other news, the Federal Government has pledged to pay half the wages of 100,000 apprentices for the next 12 months.

As part of a $1.2 billion commitment to upskill and reskill Australians into jobs, the Government will pay 50% of the wages of 100,000 new apprentices and trainees in their first year.

The Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidy (BAC) is a 50% wage subsidy that is available to all Australian local business.

The BAC wage subsidy can apply to new apprentices and trainees signed up before (today) 30 September 2021.

The BAC wage subsidy is capped at $7,000 per quarter ($28,000 for the year) and is available until the 100,000 limit is reached.

“ Apprenticeships are an important pathway to get young people into jobs and to ensure there is a skills pipeline to meet the future needs of employers,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison, announcing the package.

To be eligible for payments under the Program, your employee must be:

• an Australian citizen; or
• a foreign national with permanent residency status; or
• a New Zealand passport holder who has resided in Australia for at least six months

Other Financial Incentives

As well as the $28000 wage subsidy the State and Federal Governments provide a number of incentives to trainees and employers.