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Apprenticeship Boost
A payment to employers of $500 a month per eligible apprentice, for up to 12 months. If you are trying to persuade someone to take you on, it is the most useful number you can put in front of them.
What it is
Apprenticeship Boost is a Work and Income payment made to employers, not apprentices, to help with the cost of keeping and taking on apprentices. It is paid monthly in advance at $500 a month per eligible apprentice, excluding GST, for up to 12 months of eligibility.
Who qualifies
- The apprentice is less than 12 months into their apprenticeship.
- They are enrolled in a qualification approved by the Tertiary Education Commission.
- They have an active training agreement — not on hold, not withdrawn.
The deadline that catches people out: the employer must apply within 20 days of when the apprentice starts training. Apply later and payments can be missed. If you are starting an apprenticeship, ask in your first week whether it has been done.
What it means if you are the apprentice
Nothing about Apprenticeship Boost changes what you are owed. Your wage floor is still the training minimum wage of $19.16 an hour, or the adult minimum of $23.95 if the training rate does not apply to you — see what apprentices are paid.
Where it does matter is at the point of being hired. A first-year apprentice on the training minimum wage costs an employer roughly $766 a week before overheads; $500 a month is a meaningful share of that. Employers who have never taken an apprentice on often do not know the scheme exists. Saying so, in the interview, is free.
Common questions
How much is Apprenticeship Boost?
$500 a month per eligible apprentice, not including GST, paid to the employer monthly in advance for up to 12 months.
Which apprentices qualify for Apprenticeship Boost?
Apprentices who are less than 12 months into their apprenticeship and enrolled in a qualification approved by the Tertiary Education Commission, with an active training agreement that is not on hold or withdrawn.
Does the apprentice get the money?
No. Apprenticeship Boost is paid to the employer to help with the cost of wages. It does not change what you are legally owed, which is at least the training or adult minimum wage.
When does an employer have to apply?
Within 20 days of when the apprentice starts training. Applying later risks missed payments, so it is worth raising early rather than assuming it has been handled.
Payment amount, eligibility and the 20-day application window from Work and Income — Apprenticeship Boost, checked 2026-09-18. That page listed no closing date for the scheme when we read it; schemes like this do change, so check it before relying on the figure.