Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): I've seen reports about the take-up of the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund, which has been supporting fees-free training for all apprentices and those who have been undertaking vocational education and training in targeted industries where demand for skills will continue to be strong or is expected to grow as we recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Between 1 July last year and 30 November this year, over 175,000 New Zealanders have been supported by that fund. More than 83,000 of these were in apprenticeship programmes, more than 52,000 were trainees in the workplace, and 47,000 were at our polytechs and other vocational education providers. The Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund is attracting learners from across the community: Māori account for 20 percent of all of those being supported, Pacific people around 9 percent, Asian New Zealanders 14 percent, and, encouragingly, around a quarter of the learners being supported are over the age of 40, so are being supported to increase their skills whilst in work.