A critical element of improving productivity is increasing the skills of our workforce. One of the major success stories of our economic response is the investment in apprenticeships and targeted trades training. Since we made them free from 1 July last year, we have seen more than 100,000 people take up that opportunity, including 57,000 apprentices. In addition, the Apprenticeship Boost programme has supported nearly 11,000 businesses to retain their apprentices to complete their qualifications. That programme is continuing, and today we add to it. Budget 2021 extends the Training Incentive Allowance from level 4 to level 7 qualifications. This will mean that 16,000 sole parents, disabled people, and carers will have financial support to get degree-level qualifications. The Budget continues investment in our reform of vocational education with $279.5 million to create a unified funding system that will see more New Zealanders get the skills and training they need to improve our productivity.