Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The Apprenticeship Boost, which sits alongside the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund, is part of our COVID-19 support initiatives. The increase in spending that we've done as a result of COVID-19 helps employers keep their early-stage apprentices employed and training towards their qualifications. Since it started in August last year, we have paid out support to over 15,500 employers, and that has allowed them to retain in their jobs 38,000 first- and second-year apprentices whilst also taking on new apprentices. As a result of that, we now have record numbers of apprentices, which is in stark contrast to the global financial crisis when apprenticeship numbers fell. To the end of October, we funded support for 70,000 apprentices compared to 52,000 in the same period last year—that's an increase of over 32 percent.