9. Question No. 9—EducationMARJA LUBECK (Labour) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 9—Education9. MARJA LUBECK (Labour) to the Minister of Education: What action is the Government taking to support New Zealanders to retrain for new employment opportunities post-COVID-19?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): The Government was working to strengthen and promote vocational education options to New Zealanders even before COVID-19 hit. We've been focusing on raising the profile of trades and vocational education and encouraging more people to take up those careers. Since COVID-19 we're removing the fees on all apprenticeships and a wide range of other trades and vocational education programmes from next Wednesday until the end of 2022. We'll be financially supporting and encouraging employers to keep their apprentices earning and learning with wage subsidies of up to $16000 per apprentice.Marja Lubeck: Has COVID-19 and the lockdown had an impact on the initiatives to raise the profile of vocational education?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Inevitably yes. A number of events that were designed to connect schools communities and employers had to be delayed although I am advised that most are now in the process of being rescheduled. Officials are working very hard to ensure that we can get the up to 250 events across New Zealand to promote trades and vocational education taking place over the next 12 months. The new regional education and employment brokers that are being contracted by the Ministry of Social Development will of course be more important than ever as we seek to connect school leavers with the job opportunities that are available to them.Marja Lubeck: How has the Government improved the pipeline into vocational education for school students?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The recently announced Trades and Apprenticeships Training Package included funding for a thousand additional trades academy places per year from the beginning of 2021. Those additional places build on the 2000 additional trades academy places a year and up to 2000 additional trade gateway places a year that we announced late last year alongside the other initiatives to raise the profile of vocational education and training. These programmes provide an important starting point for school students to start their journey in trades and vocational education and to prepare them to move full time into vocational education and training when they leave school.Marja Lubeck: What resources is the Government making available to provide advice for job hunters?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As has been well canvassed there are a number of people now in the job market that haven't been in the job market and seeking employment for quite some time. As part of our careers response the Tertiary Education Commission has developed a job-hunters' workbook in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development that's available online and in hard copy and we're getting exceptionally positive feedback about it. As well as that the Tertiary Education Commission are providing training for people to help their clients use the workbook and help broker them into employment which combined with a wide range of other options such as videos and webinars and Facebook Live sessions and town hall - style events also taking place around the country will help people to get back into work as quickly as possible.