One of the most important stories of the past year was the combined efforts of Australia’s three industry buying groups - Nationwide Jewellers, Showcase Jewellers, and the Independent Jewellers Collective – to address the shortage of apprentices in the local trade.
The buying groups collated data from members detailing the increasing demand for custom-made jewellery and services, such as repairs, and documented the challenges faced by an industry with an ageing workforce and a shortage of skilled workers.
This data was presented to several government departments in a bid to have jewellers acknowledged on the Occupation Shortage List, a program organised by Jobs and Skills Australia, that provides independent advice on future workforce, skills and training needs.
In a recent development, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has published an updated Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, effective as of 1 January 2026.
The Priority List is part of the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System and provides an overview of the skills and qualifications in high demand, as well as the extra support individuals may receive if they train in a priority occupation.
The updated Priority List includes four qualifications relevant to the jewellery industry - Certificate III in Jewellery Manufacture, Certificate IV in Advanced Jewellery Manufacture, Diploma of Jewellery and Object Design, and Advanced Diploma of Jewellery and Object Design.
This means that, as part of the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System, jeweller apprentices may be eligible for several forms of financial support while undertaking training.
This includes access to loans of up to $25,983 through the Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan (AASL) program. This is an interest-free loan available to individuals undertaking study in a priority occupation, designed to help meet day-to-day costs during training. These loans are paid in monthly instalments.
Successful applicants do not have to repay the loan until they are earning income above the minimum repayment threshold, which, as of 2025-26, is $67,000.
Other options available to jewellery apprentices include the Australian Apprentice Training Support Payment. This payment of up to $2,500 is designed to help apprentices with cost-of-living pressures. This payment is front-loaded and paid in four instalments after training begins.
Jewellery apprentices may also be eligible for the Living Away From Home Allowance (LAFHA). Apprentices who are required to move away from the home of a parent or guardian to start or continue training may be eligible for financial support under this program, which includes a weekly tax-free payment that reduces as apprentices progress through training.
Beyond the support offered by the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System, jewellery apprentices may also be able to access Youth Allowance and Austudy payments, provided by Centrelink.
Youth Allowance is an income support payment designed to assist young people with living and training expenses. It is offered to students, apprentices, and job seekers aged 24 or younger.
Austudy is an income support payment for full-time students and apprentices aged 25 and over, helping with living costs while studying, subject to income and asset tests.
More work to be done…
Increasing the financial support available to jewellery apprentices is significant progress for the local trade, which continues to weather the impact of rising demand for custom-made jewellery and repairs.
With that said, those spearheading this campaign for the betterment of the trade have already moved on to other areas requiring rectification.
Of particular interest is the Skilled Occupation List, compiled by the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs, which addresses immigration and citizenship matters.
Individuals with qualifications to work or train in an eligible skilled occupation in Australia, who meet other relevant requirements, may apply for several working visas. 'Jewellers' appear as an in-demand occupation on this list, and it lists access to five forms of working visas.
With that said, based on the most recent version of the Skilled Occupation List, jewellers do not have access to Skills in Demand (Subclass 482), a temporary visa that allows an employer sponsor a skilled worker to fill a position they can’t find a suitably skilled Australian to fill.
The buying groups are in communication with the Department of Home Affairs, among various other relevant departments, concerning this oversight and will provide further updates on this matter in the future.
More reading
Critical step forward in the fight for Australia's jewellery apprentice
Auld lang syne to 2025: Jewellery industry bends but refuses to break
Jewellery industry moves closer to solving apprentice shortage
Could you mentor the next great jeweller?
Buying groups fighting for better jewellery apprentice support
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