This budget also included substantial support for education and training.

$141m to support high quality tertiary and trades education

This delivers a 1.6% increase for all tertiary education and training funded through the Tertiary Tuition and Training Multi-Category Appropriation (MCA). This includes all levels of Student Achievement Component (SAC) funding, and other funding rates covered by the MCA such as Youth Guarantee, Adult and Community Education, Literacy and Numeracy, English for Speakers of Other Languages, and Gateway programmes.

In 2021, the tuition and subsidy increase will also be extended to tertiary education and training funded in the Access to Tertiary Education and Tertiary Sector-Industry Collaboration appropriations. This will give a further boost to Equity Funding for Access to Tertiary Education and Māori and Pasifika Trades Training (MPTT) programmes.

$334m funding for additional tertiary education enrolments

There is likely to be a significant increase in tertiary education enrolments over the next few years, and this initiative provides funding for additional places within tertiary education between 2021 and 2023 to meet the increased demand from learners during the expected economic downturn from COVID-19.

$16 million boost to Adult and Community Education

This initiative will take effect from January 2021, and will benefit displaced workers, part-time workers, people who have become socially isolated due to the crisis and lockdown, people who have been out of education or employment for a long time, and people who are new to New Zealand or are semi- or fully retired.

$11 million, plus $15 million of capital investment, for Tiro Whetū, a new online careers advice system

The new online careers system will support learners and workers throughout their lifetime to plan and manage their careers. It will help all New Zealanders to understand their transferrable skills and will be particularly valuable for those who can’t easily show a clear work history.