Labour on Education

Labour says it will expand apprenticeship support, cut the cost of going to school, and invest in Māori-led trades training. Employers who take on an apprentice would get $500 a month for two years. New apprentices would get a $1,000 grant for tools and gear. School uniforms would be made cheaper by law, healthy school lunches would return, rural bus routes would be restored, and public transport fares capped. A $21 million-a-year fund would back Māori providers to deliver employment-focused training.

• Extend Apprenticeship Boost employer payments from one year to two years at $500 a month, from 1 July 2028
• Provide a $1,000 toolbox grant to new apprentices to cover starter costs, from 1 July 2027
• Expand Apprenticeship Boost eligibility to five new trades from 1 July 2027
• Pilot structured mentoring for apprentices and employers from 1 July 2027
• Change the law to limit branded school uniform items and require schools to consider affordability, in place by Term 1 2028
• Bring back fresh, healthy, locally made school lunches from Term 1 2028, funded at $5 per meal and $6.50 for students in Years 9 to 13
• Restore rural school bus routes cancelled by the current Government, or find a practical alternative with local communities
• Cap public transport fares at $20 a week in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 everywhere else, from 1 July 2027

Summarised neutrally from Labour’s own official policy (as at 2026-10-12) and checked by an editor. Nothing is paraphrased without the source linked. Read the original ↗ Politika is non-partisan. Compare all parties on Education →