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Careerforce supports the Government’s decision to extend the Apprenticeship Boost fund through to December 2023.

The Apprenticeship Boost fund first became available in August 2020, and was scheduled to end in August 2022.

As part of Budget 2022, the Government has announced the extension of Apprenticeship Boost through to December 2023, supported by $230m additional funding.

Minister Hipkins noted that since the scheme was introduced in 2020, there had been a 55% increase in apprentice numbers, and an 88% increase in the number of women doing apprenticeships. There are currently 17,000 employers receiving Apprenticeship Boost support.

Good news for employers

Since their launch in 2016, Careerforce apprenticeships have proven to be increasingly popular, and we now support over 2,400 apprentices across Aotearoa.

This extension is great news for our employers, as Apprenticeship Boost effectively provides a very welcome wage subsidy, and is undoubtedly a key driver behind the 63% growth in Careerforce apprenticeship enrolments between 2020 and 2021.

Social Services Apprentice Matiu Brokenshire with his Careerforce Apprenticeship Advisor, Kaye Gilhooley

When combined with free enrolment, courtesy of the Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund (TTAF), there really has never been a better time to enrol your staff in a Careerforce apprenticeship programme.

More information on Apprenticeship Boost is available on the TEC website.

Changes to Apprenticeship Boost Payment Amounts

The Apprenticeship Boost programme remains the same, but with one exception.

To date, employers were able to claim monthly payments of $1000/mth for apprentices in their first 12 months and $500/mth for apprentices in the second year. From August, these payments will change to $500/mth for apprentices in either their first or second year.

Note that employers are still required to claim these payments via MSD, and payments only apply to ‘active’ apprentices (via ITR check), and not to ‘on-hold’ apprentices.

Enrol Now

Careerforce welcomes the extension of the Apprenticeship Boost fund, and which we anticipate will come as welcome relief to our employers in these challenging times. There really has never been a better time to enrol your staff into an apprenticeship programme:

  • The Apprenticeship Boost fund is available for the first 24 months of an apprenticeship programme, but is only available until December 2023, or for 19 more months.
  • Via TTAF, enrolment fees remain free until December 2022. At this stage, it is not our expectation that TTAF will be extended. Prior to TTAF, apprenticeship enrolment fees were $2,000 (incl GST).

If you enrol a new apprentice now, you will be able to claim Apprenticeship Boost payments of $11,000, and get free enrolment (saving $2,000) – a net effect of $13,000 per apprentice. 

If you wait until March next year, you will only be able to claim Apprenticeship Boost payments of $5,000, and there will no longer be free enrolment via TTAF – a net effect of $3,000 per apprentice.

If you are an employer with existing apprenticeships for whom you have been claiming Apprenticeship Boost payments, you will now be able to continue claiming payments for these apprentices beyond August, and now through to December 2023 (or until they complete 24 months of their apprenticeship).

If you are interested in enrolling staff onto one of our Apprenticeship programmes, please reach out to your regular Careerforce contact.