Earlier this year, the Government announced the extension of Apprenticeship Boost through to June 2028, from its earlier scheduled finish in December 2024. While this extension was welcome news, it remained subject to confirmation of which key occupations and qualifications would remain eligible.

The Government has now confirmed the apprenticeships that will remain covered by Apprenticeship Boost. This includes all Careerforce Apprenticeship programmes, a reflection of the workforce pressures that remain across the health & wellbeing sectors, and the importance of developing this workforce.

Upon announcing the key occupations, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds commented that “by focusing Apprenticeship Boost on first-year apprentices in targeted occupations, we are providing employers in critical industries with the certainty to hire and retain first-year apprentices”.

From 1 January 2025 employers can claim Apprenticeship Boost payments of $500/mth for the first 12 months of each apprenticeship. Employers currently receiving Apprenticeship Boost for a Careerforce Apprenticeship can continue receiving payments in 2025 while the apprentice remains in their first 12 months of their training.

Careerforce, currently a work-based learning division within Te Pūkenga, supports over 2000 apprentices across Aotearoa. These apprentices perform critical roles across health and wellbeing sectors, including aged care, disability, mental health & addiction, and social services.

According to Rod Bentham, Executive Director of Careerforce, “Confirmation that all Careerforce apprenticeship programmes remain eligible for Apprenticeship Boost payments comes as great news for our sectors. This will support employers who commit to training via the apprenticeship model and help reduce cost barriers they may face. I’m confident this announcement will be very positively received by the over 2000 employers we work with across Aotearoa.”

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