Labour’s Apprenticeship Boost another part of the policy jigsaw
Labour To Expand Apprenticeship Boost
Labour will expand Apprenticeship Boost to two full years, extend it to more trades, and introduce new grants and mentoring to help more apprentices complete their training.
βToo many young New Zealanders are struggling to find good jobs while our country faces growing skills shortages,β Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said.
βWhen Labour introduced Apprenticeship Boost in 2020, it helped tens of thousands of apprentices get the training they needed for secure, well-paid careers. National cut that support to help fund tax breaks to tobacco companies and property speculators.
βLabour is committed to helping New Zealanders find good jobs and build the workforce of the future. Thatβs exactly what this policy delivers,β Chris Hipkins said.
βNational pulled the rug out from under thousands of apprentices at a time when youth unemployment is soaring and businesses are crying out for skilled workers,β Labour Tertiary Education spokesperson Shanan Halbert said.
βUnder Labour employers will receive $500 a month for the first two years of an apprenticeship, not just the first year.
βWeβre expanding the trades that qualify, including road construction, water treatment, hairdressers, and other industries.
βEligible apprentices will be able to apply for a new $1,000 grant to help cover the costs of tools and kit.
βAll apprentices will also be able to access extra support and mentoring, thanks to new funding for Industry Skills Boards and providers. We know lack of support is a big reason why many apprentices donβt complete their training and this policy directly addresses that.
βApprentices need more support, and New Zealand needs more skilled workers. This policy delivers both, and itβs just the start of Labourβs plan to build good careers right here in New Zealand,β Shanan Halbert said.
Key policy details:
Β· Apprenticeship Boost employer subsidy restored to two years at $500/month per apprentice
Β· Eligibility expanded to include new industries
Β· Grant of up to $1,000 to cover work-related upfront costs for apprentices in the scheme
Β· $2 million for Industry Skills Boards and providers to pilot additional support and mentoring
Β· Costed at an average of $56.5 million a year, funded through future operating allowances
Β· Expand eligibility to new trades and piloting the mentoring scheme will both begin 1 July 2027
Β· Extension to two years of support will come into effect on 1 July 2028
Β· New Apprenticeship Boost apprentices will be able to access the $1,000 startup grant from 1 July 2027
I think this is another positive step on the jigsaw of policies that Labour are lining up that will provide universalism.
The Apprenticeship Boost and Job creation policies of Labour were worthy of being kept in place, but National despise helping anyone other than Farmers, Banks, big polluters and property speculators so the job programs got dumped or watered down.
This alongside Public Transport Fare Caps, free prescriptions, free pregnancy scans and 3 free dr visits is a way of subsidising lifestyle costs at important moments.
Is it enough?
JESUS NO.
But they are good and we don’t have the luxury to allow the perfect to eclipse the good this election. A second National/ACT/NZF Government would cement their 19th century white coloniser privilege into place and manufacture a Government of trauma.
Is it enough? There are 600,000 people relying on food banks.
NO GST ON FOOD!
Policy jigsaw is what you provide the masses when you have no real substantial answers or policy that addresses the same economic environment we faced when Hipkins and the then Labour government due to their adherence to the neoliberal corporate forces.
Instead of taking on their masters they provide a jigsaw meaningless non productive , non threating market soothing alternatives to offer to say hey we are listening but where are never going to change and reform the system that is on the attack every three years to ensure they scare as many people as possible that they will continue to vote for the status quo.
I see the herald and stuff have teamed up to start the smear campain already against Labour .Both are today slagging as hard as they can .
I don’t get why Luxon’s nose is so out of joint at Labour’s election policies. Did he really think the Left would be giving to landlords, billionnaires, dirty tobacco, mining etc. Is he actually the full quid these days? Seems to me our glove puppet is becoming more Trump-like and struggling to comprehend what he’s done wrong. It’s not about what he’s done wrong, it’s just that he hasn’t done anything right, just RW! Now Labour are heralding the reintroduction of the Apprenticeship Scheme which the CoC should never have abolished. We want to keep our youth in NZ. We are sick of training people for Australia. Time to focus on our own needs and look after our workkers. Left, bring on more of the same! If we continue down this destructive CoC path there honestly won’t be anything left to salvage!
Training the next lot of trades people for AUS and the rest of the world .Maybe they should be bonded to NZ for 10 years .
I think that they would need to pay more than $125/week if they want to bond people for 10 years.
Look itβs okay, a step in the right direction, but if we want structural change for the better our hopes are with TOP attaining 5%. Surely we all want structural change
I don’t think either Labour or National will deal with TOP after the election. If TOP make 5% they will be a very inexperienced caucus with no Ministerial or Parliamentary experience. It would make it so much easier for Labour or National to run rings around them if they were a governing partner. TOP would be much better off being in opposition for first term, create brand for itself as being able to work across the political aisle while in opposition and gain much needed experience before working to be part of a government in 2029.
Thats what is called have fresh thinking and fresh ideas .Which is what NZ needs right here and now .40 years of tribal voting has done nothing for NZ INC .All it has done is funnel 90% of the cash to the 10% of sorted while the only growth we have had is poverty .Until poverty is truly eliminated NZINC is doomed .NZ would look a lot different and there would be less sorted leeches but 95% of the population would be in a far better space than now .We only have to look at the number of sorted that are taking overseas holidays this month then walk into town and see a growing number living on the street .
Looking at the cost of travel we can see that the few have way too much income so can afford to pay a bit more tax .We are not expecting too much of a cut ,perhaps just enough to pay for a Limo on standby
Well said gordon