3. Question No. 3—EducationMARJA LUBECK (Labour) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 3—Education3. MARJA LUBECK (Labour) to the Minister of Education: What action is the Government taking to invest in training and education for people who have lost their jobs or who want to move into a different sector where prospects are better?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): As we emerge from this health crisis Budget 2020 has made major investments in jobs and training as we get New Zealand working again. Our trades and apprenticeships training package will provide opportunities for New Zealanders of all ages to receive trades and vocational training. It sits alongside expanding the Ministry of Social Development's employment services and further rolling out the successful He Poutama Rangatahi programme to tackle youth unemployment and we'll be continuing to add to it as part of our work to rebuild the economy.Marja Lubeck: What will the trades and apprenticeships training package do to provide affordable training options for people who have been affected by the economic impacts of COVID-19?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Firstly we'll be providing funding for tens of thousands of additional places in tertiary education over the next couple of years to meet increased demand from learners who are expected to experience the effects of the economic downturn. Secondly we'll be making targeted vocational training programmes free for all ages not just for school leavers over the next two years and this will help some of the people who have lost their jobs to retrain and also allow new employees in some of the essential services to train on the job. The targeted training and apprenticeships fund will include programmes that are linked to industry skill needs—for example in building and construction agriculture manufacturing and also in other vocational courses like community health counselling and care work and the funding will be available from 1 July this year.Marja Lubeck: How will the trades and apprenticeships training package help to keep apprentices earning and learning?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: We'll be providing some financial support for employers to retain and keep training their apprentices. We're also going to be putting additional funding into group training schemes so that they can continue to employ apprentices whose host employers who are primarily small construction businesses are unable to support them and provide on-the-job opportunities. These initiatives will be critical for continuity because the last thing we want to see is apprentices and trainees having been let go when we are really going to need them in the future.Marja Lubeck: What else will the Government be doing through the trades and apprenticeships training package?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Heaps but I'll give a couple of quick examples. We're building on the volume of trades academy places in secondary schools over the next couple of years to provide further opportunities for young New Zealanders we're funding the establishment of industry-led workforce development councils so that industry can strategically plan for the skill needs of their industries as they recover from COVID-19 and we're establishing and putting further work into our online careers system so that learners and workers throughout their lifetime can plan and manage their careers. This will help all New Zealanders understand their transferrable skills and it will be particularly valuable for those who can't easily show a clear work history.Question time interrupted.