Hi John 



Today, at the Labour Party’s Congress, I announced that if re-elected, Labour will make the Apprenticeship Boost permanent.



The world is rapidly changing, and we know the best way to equip New Zealanders for the jobs of tomorrow is through investing in them and their education and training.



Labour will back employers and guarantee a pipeline of skilled tradespeople by making the successful Apprenticeship Boost scheme a permanent feature of New Zealand’s tertiary education system.



We introduced the programme as a temporary COVID-19 measure in 2020. It pays employers $500 per month for the first two years of an apprenticeship to support training their employees.



Training more New Zealanders creates opportunities and good jobs and reduces our reliance on offshore workers to plug skills shortages. Immigration remains important, but we shouldn’t have to rely on getting the skills we need from overseas.



Apprenticeship Boost works. It’s helped deliver a 61% increase in the number of apprentices over the last three years and supported over 57,000 tradespeople to help fill labour shortages. The biggest number of apprentices are being trained in construction which is a sector crying out for more workers.



In today’s economy, many businesses are also places of learning, but they need certainty from Government that we will partner with them. Today I am providing that certainty.



Labour’s support for apprentices is in stark contrast to National. Following the GFC, National stood back and let apprenticeship numbers plummet. As a result of National’s short-sighted approach, New Zealand was left with a skills shortage we’re only now starting to get on top of.



This policy for the 2023 election reinforces our strong message to school leavers that under Labour, the trades are a great career opportunity.



Labour is the party for apprentices, backing the tradies of tomorrow. 



I’m incredibly optimistic about New Zealand’s future. Our Government is delivering for Kiwis, but we’ve got more work to do.



With your support, we can continue the momentum we’ve built in our country to make sure everyone can get ahead. <[link removed]>



Thanks,

Chris









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A short note on donations:



John, we’re proud to be a truly people-powered Party, and it will only be through the generosity of thousands of supporters like you chipping in what you can that we’ll be able to keep up the momentum we’ve started.

If you can, please click below to make a donation to our Party today so we can keep growing our movement, from now until election 2023. Our campaigning doesn’t stop now.

DONATE TODAY: [link removed]

DONATE MONTHLY: [link removed]



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