Apprentices served well by Code of Practice

Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Louise Upston says apprentices and their employers will have clearer expectations thanks to a new Code of Good Practice.

A draft Code of Good Practice for New Zealand Apprenticeships was produced for consultation earlier this year and following positive feedback from submitters has now been finalised and published.

“The Code sets out the responsibilities and expectations of everyone involved in a New Zealand Apprenticeship: the apprentice, the employer and the industry training organisation,” Ms Upston says.

“The document has been drawn up with useful input from apprentices, employers and industry training organisations and I’m confident it will be a highly useful resource.”

New Zealand Apprenticeships are formal work-based training programmes leading to careers in a range of vocations. They are open to anyone in New Zealand aged 16 years and over.

“Introduced from 1 January 2014, New Zealand Apprenticeships replaced the Modern Apprenticeship scheme and allows all apprentices, regardless of age, to receive the same level of Government support.

“Apprenticeships not only help those who gain qualifications to have better lives, but they also make a significant contribution to achieving our aspirations for a better-qualified workforce. In particular they support our Better Public Services target of increasing the proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds with level four qualifications,” Ms Upston says.

The Code of Good Practice for New Zealand Apprenticeships takes effect from 20 August and is available at http://www.tec.govt.nz/Learners-Organisations/Learners/Learn-about/Apprenticeships/