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The Indigenous Apprenticeships Program (IAP) plays a pivotal role in increasing Indigenous employment opportunities across the APS. Since 2015, the IAP has given over 1,800 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people opportunities to join the APS. These are people with diverse backgrounds, including people leaving school, finishing study or looking for a new career. ’s a great way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to make a difference in the lives of Australians.
The 12-month program offers:
    a permanent, full-time, entry-level job in government
    job security with a competitive salary
    opportunities to progress your career, including a nationally recognised certificate or diploma qualification.

It also offers a range of roles across a number of departments and agencies. You could work in:
    administration
    policy and program development
    service delivery
    finance
    human resources
    information technology.

When you apply, they will ask you which department or agency you’re interested in and they will consider your application for all participating departments and agencies.

They will also ask where in Australia you’d like to work. You can apply for a role in one or more locations. If you’re successful, they will take your preferences into account when we offer you a job. They may offer you a job at more than one department or agency, you can then select the one that is best for you.

The Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) is a one off payment of up to $5,000. It’s to help eligible students with the cost of moving to study. This is for study after you’ve finished year 12 or equivalent.

To get the payment you need to meet some rules. These include:

• moving from a regional or remote area for tertiary study
• starting tertiary study in the year after finishing year 12 or equivalent.

You can claim this payment in your first year of tertiary study only.

To get this payment you must also be all of the following:

• an Australian resident meeting residence rules
• from an inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote area
• moving to study at a tertiary education provider that’s at least 90 minutes away from your family home by public transport
• have completed year 12 or equivalent
• studying a tertiary course at certificate IV or above in the year after year 12 with no gap year
• 22 or younger on the day you start your tertiary course
• have parents or guardians whose income is under the current combined parental income limit of $250,000.

You must also meet all of the study rules. You meet the rules for qualifying study if you do both of the following:

• study a certificate IV or above at an accredited Australian tertiary education provider
• study at least 75% of a full-time study load
• study a course with a minimum duration of one academic year.

You can apply for an additional Child Care Subsidy for Temporary Financial Hardship due to a natural disaster.

The High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment is to provide lump sum financial assistance to limit the financial hardship of eligible individuals working in high risk settings who are, or were, unable to work and earn an income as a result of having tested positive with COVID-19.

The High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment grant program commences on 15 October 2022 and replaces the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment that ends on 14 October 2022. The High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment supports eligible workers in high-risk settings to not attend work for a seven day period of workplace exclusion if they test positive to COVID-19, in order to mitigate the risk of infection within the high-risk setting.

The amount of High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment that is payable is determined by the number of hours the person would have worked during their period of workplace exclusion due to testing positive with COVID-19. All eligible people who test positive with COVID-19 on or after 00:01am, 15 October 2022 and are excluded from work in a high-risk setting for 7 days, will receive:

• $750 if they would have worked 20 hours or more; or
• $450 if they would have worked a full day or at least 8 hours and up to 20 hours of work.

Only one payment can be claimed for each period of infection.

For the purposes of High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment, a “high-risk setting” means a setting or workplace in which the person works that involves close personal care and support services involving frequent close contact in the following settings:

• Aged Care, including home care that involves close personal care and support services involving frequent close contact.
• Disability care, including disability home care that involves close personal care and support services involving frequent close contact.
• Aboriginal healthcare, including workforce employed by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, community health care, Aboriginal drug and alcohol services and support services involving frequent close contact.
• Hospital care, including day hospitals and smaller facilities, paramedical, ambulance, patient transport and support services involving frequent close contact.

The number of times a person can receive a High-Risk Settings Pandemic Payment will be capped at three in a six month period. The payment count will start from 1 July and take into consideration any prior claims, including previous Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment claims from this date.