Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Apprenticeships support kicks off today

Hon Chris Hipkins
Minister of Education

Hon Carmel Sepuloni
Minister for Social Development

Hon Willie Jackson
Minister for Employment

Two employment schemes – one new and one expanded – going live today will help tens of thousands of people continue training on the job and support thousands more into work, the Government has announced.

Apprenticeship Boost, a subsidy of up to $12,000 per annum for first year apprentices and $6,000 per annum for second year apprentices for employers of new and existing apprentices is available from today. An extra $30.3 million in funding for an expanded Mana in Mahi – a programme to help people into long-term work with recognised industry qualifications – is also available from 5 August.

“This Government recognises the challenges people and firms are facing with this 1-in-100 year shock. We need to do everything we can to keep New Zealanders working, keep them training and help people to find work particularly in areas where there are skills shortages,” Minister of Education Chris Hipkins said.

“Without initiatives like Apprenticeship Boost, we risk losing our apprentices and facing a massive skills shortage on the other side of the pandemic, like we did after the Global Financial Crisis. Investing in our people is the focus of the Government’s five-point plan for the economy as New Zealand rebuilds.”

Employment Minister Willie Jackson said there is clearly a demand for the Mana in Mahi Programme so it’s pleasing to be able to extend Mana in Mahi as it celebrates two years this month of supporting people with a holistic transition into work.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“The changes we have made to Mana in Mahi will also better support a wider range of people, including workers of all ages who may have to retrain due to the economic impacts of COVID-19,” he said.

Investing in employment support

Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni said MSD has received more funding to help both current clients and new job seekers get back into work.

“An additional $54 million has been allocated to MSD to assist people get back into work. This funding will be allocated to a number of MSD programmes that help support people retain work, retrain or move into different industries where there are good job opportunities.

“We know that these challenging times require us to ensure our employment support response remains fit for purpose. It will support MSD to be better able to both place and keep people in work – and be a critical part of our broader economic recovery,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

This funding builds upon the initial $150 million for the Employment Service Response to COVID-19 initiative announced as part of the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund foundational package.

The Apprenticeship Boost and the expanded Mana in Mahi scheme are administered by MSD and can be found here: https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/work/apprentice-support/index.html

EDITORS NOTES:

Apprenticeship Boost applications open

• The Apprenticeship Boost initiative will help keep first and second year apprentices employed and training towards their qualification.

• Through Apprenticeship Boost, employers will be paid at $1,000 a month for apprentices in their first 12 months of training, and $500 a month for apprentices in their second 12 months of training.

• Apprenticeship Boost payments will be made to employers of eligible apprentices after all the relevant information has been provided.

Mana in Mahi expanded

• Mana in Mahi has exceeded targets set each year to put people into employment and formal training since it started in 2018.

• For the year ending 30 June 2020, 832 people had been placed into Mana in Mahi opportunities.

• The expanded scheme starts today with employers offered double the amount of support from 12 to 24 months, dependent on their employee’s training pathway.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.