Apprenticeships NZ | How apprenticeships work

You do

Have a look around. Run the ROI calculator, check what funding applies to your industry, browse the qualifications that fit your team. No login, no forms.

We do

Provide information and tools to help you. We're here to answer your questions via live chat or put you in touch with a knowledgeable Training Advisor.

Explore qualifications ROI Calculator Available Funding

86 qualifications across 8 industries. Search by name, level, or sector to find what's right for your team.

Browse all qualifications →

See what training actually costs — and returns. Input your salary, charge-out rate, and mentoring hours to get a personalised ROI projection.

Open ROI Calculator →

Government funding covers most of the training cost for apprenticeships — you cover wages. For traineeships and micro-credentials, it varies by programme. The ROI calculator gives you a personalised figure based on your situation.

ApprenticeshipsGovernment-funded training contribution. Employer pays wages only.

TraineeshipsPartially funded. Shorter programmes, lower total cost.

Micro-credentialsTargeted packages. Funding varies by programme.

Funding & subsidies in full — Fees Free, Apprenticeship Boost, Mana in Mahi →

Full details: Understanding apprenticeships →

You do

Call us or ask for a callback. Tell us a bit about your business and what you're trying to do.

We do

Assign a training advisor for your region and industry — someone who's visited hundreds of workplaces like yours. They'll come to you, get across how your business works, and give you a straight picture of what training involves and what it actually costs.

What the visit covers Questions to prepare Check your readiness Book a call

Your businessHow your team is structured, what skills you need, what training would fit the way you work.

Your optionsWhich programme fits: apprenticeship, traineeship, or micro-credential. What the commitment looks like week to week.

Your fundingWhat subsidies apply. What it costs once the government contribution is factored in.

You don't need to prepare anything — but these questions help the conversation move faster:

How many people do you want to train?
Are they new hires or existing staff?
What skills are you missing right now?
Can someone in your team supervise or mentor?
What's your timeline — urgent or planning ahead?

Before the call, take 5 minutes to check how ready your workplace is to take on a trainee. You'll get a score across four areas — and a PDF you can share with your advisor.

Start the readiness check →

Your training advisor will call within 2 working days.

Book a call →

Full details: the full employer guide →

You do

Decide on the training type and qualification together. Ask everything — they've heard it all before.

We do

Recommend what fits your industry, your team, and your situation. Walk you through what training looks like week to week, including what's expected of you as the employer.

Programme comparison Training structure Find qualifications

Swipe to compare

	Apprenticeship	Traineeship	Micro-credential
Level	3–4	2–4	Varies
Duration	3–4 years	6–18 months	Weeks–months
Delivery	Workplace + block courses + eLearning	Workplace + eLearning	Targeted modules
Result	National qualification	National certificate	Specific skill credential
Best for	Growing a tradesperson from the ground up	Formalising existing skills	Filling a specific gap fast
Funding	Government contribution	Partial funding	Varies

70% on the job. Your equipment, your jobs, your standards. The skills your apprentice builds are the ones your workshop actually needs.

20% eLearning. Theory units through Canvas, Competenz's online platform. Your advisor will work out a study schedule that fits around your production — not the other way around.

10% block courses. One to three weeks a year at a training facility, covering specialist skills that need proper gear. Your advisor coordinates the dates and works around your busy periods.

The full structure — training agreement, plan, assessments, support →

Competenz covers 86 qualifications across 8 industries — engineering, manufacturing, forestry, food & beverage, print & packaging and more. The finder shows each one's level, credits, delivery mode and entry requirements, and many link straight through to a year-by-year roadmap of the units involved.

Filter by industryJump straight to the qualifications that fit your trade.

See the full roadmapYear-by-year units, credits, and what's assessed when.

Compare levelsLevel 2 to 5 — foundation skills through to a full trade qualification.

Browse all qualifications →

Full details: Apprenticeship structure →

You do

Complete the enrolment. Provide your employee's details and nominate someone in your team who'll mentor them day to day.

We do

Set everything up — training plan, Competenz Central access, first advisor visit scheduled. You'll have a clear picture of milestones and dates before training begins.

Enrolment process What you need Need to recruit?

1
Employer completes enrolment form (online or with advisor)
2
Sign the training agreement — a three-way agreement between you, your employee, and Competenz, so everyone's supported and clear on their part
3
Competenz verifies details and confirms funding eligibility
4
Training plan created — milestones, assessments, block course dates
5
Competenz Central accounts activated for employer and learner
6
First advisor visit scheduled — training begins

Your employee's full name, date of birth, and NSN if they have one
Your business details (NZBN or company name)
The chosen qualification
A nominated workplace mentor

Don't have all of it? Your advisor can fill in the gaps during the first visit.

Don't have someone in mind yet? Post on the Competenz job board or view our motivated candidates across NZ.

View available candidates →

Full details: the getting-started checklist →

You do

Keep doing what you do and bring your apprentice along with you. Point things out. Explain your reasoning. Give feedback. The mentoring doesn't need to be formal — most experienced tradespeople are already doing the important parts naturally.

We do

Your advisor visits throughout the year — not to inspect, to make sure things are moving. They coordinate assessments, block course logistics, and eLearning. If anything comes up — progress, confidence, something personal — they're the first call. That's what they're there for.

Your role as mentor What the advisor does Pastoral care

You don't need to be a teacher. You need to be the person who knows this trade and wants to pass it on.

As a guide, around five hours a week of mentoring keeps an apprentice moving — but for most experienced tradespeople that's already happening naturally as they work alongside you, not extra time set aside.

The best mentors communicate clearly, give feedback that builds confidence alongside correcting mistakes, and connect theory to real work — “this is why that calculation matters.” Your training advisor can give you practical coaching tools if you want them, but most employers are already doing the important things.

What makes the biggest difference is consistency. A regular check-in — even ten minutes a week — keeps an apprentice on track and lets you catch small things before they become bigger ones.

Regular visitsYour advisor visits the workplace throughout the year. Not to inspect — to keep training on track.

Assessment coordinationSets deadlines that work for your production schedule. Manages the assessment process.

eLearning + block coursesCoordinates Canvas access and block course scheduling. Handles logistics.

Milestone trackingMonitors progress via Competenz Central. Flags if someone's falling behind before it becomes a problem.

Training is a long commitment — three to four years for an apprenticeship. Life doesn't stand still during that time.

If your apprentice hits a rough patch — confidence, health, something going on at home — it affects their training and it affects your workshop. Your training advisor is set up to help with this. They check in with the apprentice regularly and are the link to any extra support that's needed: study groups, wellbeing resources, learning support.

You don't need to manage this alone. Let your advisor know early and they'll work through it with you.

Full details: Being a workplace mentor →

You do

Have a fully qualified tradesperson who knows your business from the inside out — and a clearer sense of what your team is capable of.

We do

Award the qualification. Talk through what comes next — a specialist pathway, further training, or starting the process again with someone new.

What it means Career pathways What's next

NZQA recognisedNationally recognised qualification on the NZ Qualifications Framework. Portable, respected, permanent.

Business impactHigher skill level across your team. Better quality work. Reduced dependency on hiring externally.

RetentionPeople stay where they were invested in. Training builds loyalty that recruitment can't buy.

The qualification is the foundation, not the ceiling. Your employee can progress to:

Specialist roles — deeper expertise in their trade
Supervisor / leading hand — managing others on the floor
Further qualifications — Level 5 or 6, management credentials
Micro-credentials — targeted upskilling in new technologies

Most businesses that train one person train more. Once you've been through the process, you know how it works — and you start to see where the gaps are in your team further down the track.

Your advisor can help you think beyond one apprentice. Who's coming up? What skills will you need in five years? It doesn't have to be a formal workforce plan — just a conversation worth having.

“We've trained over 700 apprentices, and there's a definite benefit — our employees end up with a higher skill level, and that transfers through the business.”— Rob Kirwan, Managing Director, Culham Engineering

Full details: qualification & certificates →

Hiring an apprentice or trainee?

Already have someone in mind?

Apprenticeships

What is an apprenticeship?

How does my business benefit from taking on an apprentice?

Can I train an existing staff member?

How do I find an apprentice?

How we support you

Events

Tailored programmes for your industry

How much does this cost?

Funding options

Is there flexibility support during tough times

What do I have to do to sign up an apprentice?

Ready to get started?

Success stories

Upskilling can be affordable

Take advantage of funding options available to employers to help train your teams.

Already have an apprentice or you have more questions about apprenticeship?

Hiring an apprentice or trainee?

Already have someone in mind?

Apprenticeships

What is an apprenticeship?

How does my business benefit from taking on an apprentice?

Can I train an existing staff member?

How do I find an apprentice?

How we support you

Events

Tailored programmes for your industry

How much does this cost?

Funding options

Is there flexibility support during tough times

What do I have to do to sign up an apprentice?

Ready to get started?

Success stories

Upskilling can be affordableTake advantage of funding options available to employers to help train your teams.

Already have an apprentice or you have more questions about apprenticeship?

Upskilling can be affordable

Take advantage of funding options available to employers to help train your teams.