Almost 65,000 apprentices also benefit from programme
New Zealand's Apprenticeship Boost programme has now supported 20,000 employers, announced Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni this week.
The Apprenticeship Boost is an initiative launched in August 2020 that pays employers to help them keep and take on new apprentices.
Sepuloni said the programme has been "pivotal in keeping people in jobs and supporting employers to invest in jobseekers."
"Supporting these 20,000 employers has delivered a win-win for Kiwis looking for work and businesses in need of workers," the minister said in a statement.
More women taking up apprenticeship
So far, almost 62,000 apprentices have been supported by the programme, with more women joining male-dominated fields, according to Education Minister Jan Tinetti.
"We're also seeing more women take up apprenticeships, notably in building and architecture which has traditionally been male dominated," Tinetti said. "Those sectors now have 850 more women apprentices, an increase of 207% since 2020 when Apprenticeship Boost started."
According to the minister, the initiative has been helping the country meet the strong demand for skills and supporting employers in training the next generation of tradespeople.
"It's particularly important that we have skilled people for the in-demand jobs right now, that are supporting the rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and other weather events this year," she said.
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"Apprenticeship Boost is helping us to deliver key infrastructure projects, increase our housing stock and supply, and build the workforce needed to take us forward."
People investment plan 'working'
Employers who are part of the programme receive $500 a month per apprentice, for a maximum of 24 months or until the initiative ends, according to the Work and Income agency.
The boost, which was originally set to end this year, has been extended until the end of December 2024. Employers must apply their apprentices for the programme to qualify, with a training agreement between the employer, apprentice, and the programme provider needed.
"We purposefully set out to increase the number of apprentices, support businesses, fill skill shortages, and retrain those who lost work as a result of COVID-19," Sepuloni said.
"The fact we've kept unemployment low, and economic activity is growing, shows that our plan to invest in people is working."