Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): Yesterday I announced, as part of Budget 2022, that we'll be providing for another 24,000 apprentices, getting the Apprenticeship Boost support, and some 14,000 apprentices will continue to get supported beyond August this year. In recognition of the significant growth in apprentices since 2020—and the employment strength of the New Zealand economy—and to extend the initiative at a reasonable cost, the first year subsidy rate will lower to $500 per month from 5 August 2022. The second year subsidy rate will remain at $500 per month, until the initiative ends in December 2023. There are already 17,000 employers involved in the programme, and today's investment means that new employers can also join up. 