Government support and funding

Apprenticeship Boost

If you’re an employer taking on apprentices, you may be eligible for the Apprenticeship Boost.

Apprenticeship Boost is a payment made to employers to help you keep and take on new apprentices. The payment is made directly to employers.

Employers can get $500 a month, per apprentice, not including GST. If you're GST registered, you'll be paid the amount plus GST.

Changes to Apprenticeship Boost in 2025

The Government is making changes to Apprenticeship Boost. From 1 January 2025, it will only be available for employers of first-year apprentices in targeted sectors with skills shortages.

Most of the sectors that Primary ITO has Apprenticeships in are part of this scheme. Work and Income manages this scheme. Learn more about the changes to the Apprenticeship Boost.

Work and Income also has information about other apprenticeship programmes, such as Mana in Mahi, Group Training Schemes, and the Regional Apprenticeships Initiative.

Learn more about Work and Income’s apprenticeship support programmes.

Fees Free

Starting tertiary study or training for the first-time? You may be able to get Fees Free for the final year of the first provider-based qualification or work-based programme you complete.  

To get Fees Free on completion of your final year of study or training you must:

• complete a qualification or a programme eligible for Fees Free, and
• meet the residency criteria at the time you complete your qualification or programme, and
• meet the prior study and training criteria, and
• not have already used Fees Free.

You don't need to do anything to confirm your eligibility until 2026. However, if you would like to check if you meet the residency and prior study and training criteria before you complete your qualification or programme, you can read the eligibility criteria on the Fees Free website, www.feesfree.govt.nz/final-year.

Claiming Fees Free

After you complete your first eligible qualification or programme, you will be able to confirm your eligibility and claim your entitlement. You will be able to do this through myIR (Inland Revenue) from early 2026.

If you have a Student Loan, your Fees Free entitlement will go towards paying off your Student Loan. This will lower the amount you have borrowed. If you don’t have a loan, the entitlement will be paid to a bank account you nominate.

Started studying or training before 2025

The Government announced that Fees Free for the first year of study or training finished at the end of 2024. A final-year Fees Free policy has replaced it, starting from 1 January 2025.

If you used Fees Free in 2024, you may be able to continue to use your remaining first-year entitlement in 2025. For more information on the first-year Fees Free transition rules visit the Fees Free website, www.feesfree.govt.nz/end-of-first-year.

Flexi-wage

Flexi-wage is a support system from Work and Income that can help you get the skills you need to meet the entry-level requirements for a job.

You can get training and ongoing support if you need it, and your employer can get a wage contribution to help them pay your wages. The job must continue after the Flexi-wage has finished. 

Find out more here.