Guides / Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships in NZ: how they work and how to get one
An apprenticeship is a real job where you're paid while you train for a qualification. You learn from people who do the work every day – and you can start at 16. Here's how it works in New Zealand, what you need and how to land one.
- How an apprenticeship works
- Which trade?
- What you need to start
- Start at school: Gateway and trades academies
- How to get an apprenticeship, step by step
- Apprentice pay and fees
- Apprenticeship Boost for employers
- Changes to apprenticeships, 2026–2028
- Questions to help you decide
- Your next step this week
How an apprenticeship works
You're employed by a business and learn on the job from qualified people. A training provider arranges your training: you, your employer and the provider agree a training plan, with block courses, day release and assessments. New Zealand Apprenticeships lead to a New Zealand Certificate at Level 4 (Tahatū).
How long it takes depends on the trade. Tahatū lists 3–4 years for electricians, carpenters and plumbers. Mechanics take 2 to 4 years, depending on where you start: Tahatū's automotive apprenticeship listing says about 2 years for the Level 4 certificate (Tahatū), and MITO's light automotive programme, which starts at Level 3, takes 4 years (MITO). More in our mechanic guide.
You can start at 16, and there's no upper age limit – so it's never too late to switch to a trade.
Which trade?
Start with what you enjoy and what drives you. Then read up on the trade. Our guides cover four popular ones in detail:
Training length and requirements: Tahatū (electrician, carpenter, plumber, automotive technician, automotive apprenticeships) and MITO, checked 3 October 2026.
Plenty of other jobs train through apprenticeships too:
- Building and construction: roofing, plastering, tiling, brick and blocklaying, joinery, scaffolding.
- Electrical and engineering: line mechanic, welder and fabricator, fitter and turner, automotive electrician.
- Food and service: chef, baker, butcher, hairdresser and barber.
- Primary industries: agriculture, horticulture, forestry, arboriculture.
Look any of them up on Tahatū's study and training search: each apprenticeship listing shows how long the training takes and which providers offer it.
What you need to start
- You must be 16 or older. There's no upper age limit (Tahatū).
- A job. You need to find an employer before you can start an apprenticeship.
- NCEA Level 2 for many trades. Tahatū lists it for electricians, carpenters and plumbers; for automotive technicians it says NCEA Level 2 may be useful. Requirements differ, so check the job you're interested in.
- A driver licence helps in most trades, and some employers ask for a drug test – Tahatū lists both for electricians.
- The right attitude. Turning up on time, asking questions and taking safety seriously matter more than you might think.
Start at school: Gateway and trades academies
If you're in Year 11, 12 or 13, two school programmes let you try a trade before you leave. Tahatū says choosing them might help you get an apprenticeship when you leave school (Tahatū).
Gateway
Gateway lets you try work in a real workplace while you study for NCEA. You usually work at the same place for part of the school year, get assessed on the knowledge and skills you learn there, and earn NCEA credits. Ask your school whether it offers Gateway – it's often chosen like a subject (Tahatū).
Trades academies
At a trades academy you spend 3 or 4 days a week at school and 1 or 2 days with a training provider, and you may get experience in a real workplace too. You work towards NCEA Level 2 or above and industry qualifications at Level 1, 2 or 3. Your careers adviser can tell you how to enrol (Tahatū).
Already left school? Many providers run short entry-level courses for trades – search for your trade on Tahatū. They teach the basics and show employers you're serious.
How to get an apprenticeship in NZ, step by step
- Explore. Pick two or three trades and look them up on Tahatū: what the work involves, what it pays and how you get in. Talk to someone who does the job if you can.
- Contact training providers. Tahatū's study and training search shows which providers offer each apprenticeship. Visit their website or call them to register your interest, find out about the training and check the entry requirements. Some providers can help match you with an employer (Tahatū).
- Find an employer. This is the big one. Search job sites for “apprentice” plus your trade and town, go direct to local businesses, and ask family, coaches and neighbours who they know in the trade. Not every apprenticeship is advertised, so asking directly is worth it.
- Get your CV and cover letter ready. One page each is plenty. Put in anything practical: part-time work, sport, fixing things, helping on a farm or in the family business. Our guides show you how to write a CV with no work experience and a cover letter for an apprenticeship.
- Follow up. A short, polite message a week later makes you stand out.
- Sign up. When an employer offers you an apprenticeship, you get a written employment agreement – every employee must have one (Employment New Zealand). Then you enrol with the provider, and they work with you and your employer on your training plan.
What to say when you call or walk in
Keep it short. Here's an example you can adapt:
“Hi, I'm [your name]. I'm finishing Year 13 and I want to become an apprentice [trade]. Are you taking anyone on – or could I do a day with you to see what the work is like?”
Then leave your CV, or ask for the best email address to send it to. If they say no, ask if they know anyone who might say yes.
Apprentice pay and fees
What you can legally be paid depends on your age and what your employment agreement says about training (Employment New Zealand, checked 3 October 2026):
- Aged 16 to 19, and your agreement says you'll do at least 40 credits a year of industry training: you can be paid the starting-out minimum wage, $19.16 an hour from 1 April 2026. (16- and 17-year-olds in their first six months with an employer can also be paid this rate.)
- Aged 20 or older, and your agreement says you'll do at least 60 credits a year of an industry training programme: the training minimum wage, also $19.16 an hour.
- Otherwise – or once you supervise or train other workers – it's at least the adult minimum wage: $23.95 an hour.
Those are legal minimums. Tahatū says apprentices earn the training or adult minimum wage or more, and many employers pay above it. Ask how and when your pay goes up as you finish parts of your qualification. More in our minimum wage guide.
Once you're qualified, this is what most people in these jobs earn, according to Tahatū:
| Job | Most earn |
|---|---|
| Electrician | $66,000–$107,000 a year |
| Plumber | $56,000–$91,000 a year |
| Carpenter | $52,000–$84,000 a year |
| Automotive technician | $28–$41 an hour (about $58,000–$85,000 a year) |
Source: Tahatū, pay before tax, checked 3 October 2026. Pay varies with experience and employer.
Fees: you may need to pay fees for your training, and some employers pay them (Tahatū) – ask before you sign. Fees Free covers the final 2 years of work-based learning, but only if you complete by 31 December 2026 (Inland Revenue).
Apprenticeship Boost: help for employers
Apprenticeship Boost is a payment for employers, not apprentices. An employer can get $500 a month (excluding GST) per eligible apprentice, for up to 12 months. The apprentice must be less than 12 months into their apprenticeship and enrolled in a qualification on the Tertiary Education Commission's list, and the employer must apply within 20 days of the apprentice starting (Work and Income, page updated 13 July 2026).
Why it matters to you: a small business that's unsure about taking on an apprentice might not know about it. You can mention it – politely – when you ask.
Changes to apprenticeships, 2026–2028
New Zealand is reorganising how apprenticeships are run (Ministry of Education, page updated 26 June 2026):
- Since 1 January 2026, eight Industry Skills Boards temporarily manage apprenticeships and traineeships: Construction and Specialist Trades; Education, Community and Health; Electrotechnology and Information Technology; Energy and Infrastructure; Food and Fibre; Manufacturing and Engineering; Services; and Transport.
- New apprentices: the Industry Skills Boards can only take on new learners where there's no suitable work-based programme with a polytechnic or other tertiary provider. When you sign up, ask which provider you'll be enrolled with.
- If you're already an apprentice with the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (formerly Te Pūkenga), you stay with your existing work-based learning division for now.
- By 1 January 2028, all work-based learning moves to polytechnics and other tertiary providers, such as private training establishments. The Industry Skills Boards then only set standards.
What it means for you: you still need an employer, you still enrol with a training provider, and you're still paid while you train. What can change is which provider arranges your training. When you sign up, ask who that is and whether it will change before you finish.
Questions to help you decide
Ask yourself:
- Do I like learning by doing – and can I keep up with coursework on top of a working week?
- Am I OK with physical work, early starts and being out in the weather?
- Which problems do I like solving: wiring, water, engines, building something from nothing?
- Would I like to run my own business one day?
- How does this compare with a degree? Read apprenticeship vs university.
Ask an employer:
- Who will train me day to day?
- How does my pay go up as I progress?
- Who pays the training fees?
- What tools and gear do I need to buy?
- When are the block courses, and am I paid while I'm on them?
Your next step this week
Pick one – not all of them:
- Read the guide for one trade: electrical, building, plumbing or mechanic.
- Ask your careers adviser about Gateway or a trades academy.
- Call or visit one local business and ask if you could spend a day with them.
Questions
How much do apprentices get paid in NZ?
It depends on your age and your employment agreement. Apprentices aged 16 to 19 who do at least 40 credits a year of industry training can be paid the starting-out minimum wage, and apprentices aged 20 or older who do at least 60 credits a year can be paid the training minimum wage – both $19.16 an hour from 1 April 2026. If neither applies, it's usually the adult minimum wage of $23.95 an hour. Many employers pay more. Details on employment.govt.nz.
How old do you have to be to get an apprenticeship in NZ?
16 or older. According to Tahatū, there's no upper age limit.
Do I need NCEA to get an apprenticeship?
It depends on the trade. Tahatū lists NCEA Level 2 for electricians, carpenters and plumbers, while for automotive technicians it says NCEA Level 2 may be useful. Employers also look at reliability, attitude and often a driver licence.
How long does an apprenticeship take?
It depends on the trade. Tahatū lists 3–4 years for electricians, carpenters and plumbers. For mechanics, Tahatū's automotive apprenticeship listing says about 2 years for the Level 4 certificate, and MITO's light automotive programme, which starts at Level 3, takes 4 years.
What is the Gateway programme?
Gateway lets students in Years 11 to 13 try work in a real workplace while studying for NCEA. You usually work at the same place for part of the school year, get assessed on what you learn there and earn NCEA credits. Ask your school whether it offers Gateway.
What is a trades academy?
At a trades academy, students in Years 11 to 13 spend 3 or 4 days a week at school and 1 or 2 days with a training provider. You work towards NCEA Level 2 or above and industry qualifications at Level 1, 2 or 3. Your careers adviser can tell you how to enrol.
What changed with apprenticeships in 2026?
Since 1 January 2026, eight Industry Skills Boards temporarily manage apprenticeships and traineeships. Current apprentices stay with their existing work-based learning division, and by 1 January 2028 all work-based learning moves to polytechnics and other tertiary providers. The boards can only enrol new apprentices where no suitable programme is available through a polytechnic or other provider. You still need an employer first, and you still enrol with a training provider. More on education.govt.nz.
What's Apprenticeship Boost?
A payment for employers: $500 a month (excluding GST) per eligible apprentice who is less than 12 months into their apprenticeship, for up to 12 months. The employer applies to Work and Income within 20 days of the apprentice starting.
Do apprentices pay fees?
You may need to pay training fees, and some employers pay them – ask before you sign. Fees Free covers the final 2 years of work-based learning, but only if you complete by 31 December 2026.
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Sources
- Tahatū, About apprenticeships (checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, Combine school with work or training – Gateway and trades academies (checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, Explore study and training (checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, Electrician (checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, Carpenter (checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, Plumber (checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, Automotive technician (checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, Apprenticeships in automotive engineering and mechanics (checked 3 October 2026)
- MITO, Light Automotive Engineering (length; checked 3 October 2026)
- Tahatū, Apprenticeships in electrical engineering – fees (checked 3 October 2026)
- Employment New Zealand, Minimum wage rates and types (checked 3 October 2026)
- Employment New Zealand, Employment agreements (checked 3 October 2026)
- Work and Income, Apprenticeship Boost (page updated 13 July 2026, checked 3 October 2026)
- Ministry of Education, Redesign of the vocational education and training system (page updated 26 June 2026, checked 3 October 2026)
- Inland Revenue, Fees Free (checked 3 October 2026)