FUNDING & SUPPORT

Funding & Support for Industry Training


We support Employees and help Learners as they skill-up with purpose.

We aim to ensure all parties involved in a NZ Apprenticeship or Certificate; learner, employer and Connexis | Te Pūkenga, work together and support each other to develop a stronger workforce for our industries.

There are several ways learners and employers can find support to fund on-job training and help build a skilled workforce:




CHECK YOUR FEES FREE ELIGIBILITY!

Fees Free tertiary education and training is a policy introduced in 2018 to expand participation in tertiary education and reduce student debt in New Zealand. It is targeted towards first-time learners.

CHECK ELIGIBILITY

CHECK YOUR FEES FREE ELIGIBILITY!

Fees Free tertiary education and training is a policy introduced in 2018 to expand participation in tertiary education and reduce student debt in New Zealand. It is targeted towards first-time learners.

First-time tertiary learners may be able to get up to $12,000 of their fees covered for one year’s study or two years’ training. For eligible learners, we’ll organise payment of the fees with the Tertiary Education Commission.

View our Fees Free eligible programmes here.


Check your eligibility here

APPRENTICESHIP SUPPORT PROGRAMME

The Apprenticeship support programme supports employers to retain and bring on new apprentices. This employer wage subsidy fund is available through one of the following three programmes, along with support for existing Group Training Schemes:

APPRENTICESHIP BOOST

Apprenticeship Boost is a wage subsidy to help employers retain and take on new apprentices. This scheme has been extended to the end of 2024. It was previously due to end in December 2023.


Check your eligibility here

Apprenticeship Support Programme

Apprenticeships (and pre-apprenticeship training) provide high-quality pathways that generally lead to good long-term employment outcomes, often in skill shortage areas.  As employers deal with the economic impacts of COVID-19, it is important that we support them to retain existing and continue to bring on new apprentices. If we don’t address this, as well as affecting individual workers’ jobs, this situation may weaken the skills pipeline that we need to support our economic recovery and rebuild over the coming years.

Learn More

Image

MANA IN MAHI PROGRAMME

This is an existing programme that has had $30.3 million in new funding through extension of the funding and programme criteria.

The programme supports people disadvantaged in the labour market into long-term work.

Funding includes a wage subsidy for employers, funding for pre-employment training, ongoing access to pastoral care and incentive payments for participating employees


Check your eligibility here

Māori Trades and Training Fund

The Māori Trades and Training Fund (MTTF) is designed to encourage Māori organisations to try different approaches to engaging and keeping Māori in employment-focused training opportunities. The MTTF funds kaupapa Māori projects so they can offer employment-based training alongside support services, such as pastoral care.

Projects are Māori-led and offer benefits that are specific and relevant to Māori. Projects will help develop skills:

  • That are in demand in the job market
  • To enter and progress in sustainable employment.

The Fund is available across Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Ministry of Social Development and Te Puni Kōkiri work together to approve applications to the Māori Trades and Training Fund.


Check your eligibility here

How to register your interest

If you are a Māori entity and would like to apply for funding through the Māori Trades and Training Fund, please download and complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) form.

DOWNLOAD EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM