Do you have to pay for an apprenticeship in NZ?

How much does an apprenticeship cost in NZ?

Less than any other route into a trade, because you are working the whole time. Fees are charged by the provider that delivers the off-job part of your training, they vary by trade and provider, and they are usually paid year by year. Against that you earn at least the training minimum wage, which is $19.16 an hour for most apprentices aged 20 or over.

There is no single fee figure: each provider sets its own and they change. Ask the employer which provider they use and what the yearly fee is, before you sign.

One provider's figure, for scale: HITO charges a funded hairdressing apprentice $1,715 a year, $6,004 over the apprenticeship, plus about $1,000 of equipment (HITO fees page, current from 1 January 2026). Hairdressing apprenticeships → BCITO charges a carpentry apprentice $1,984 for the first year and $964 for each year after, $4,876 over four years (BCITO carpentry page, checked 30 October 2026). Carpentry apprenticeships →

Fees from HITO — Apprenticeship fees (checked 2026-10-29) and BCITO — Carpentry: careers and apprenticeships (apprentice fees) (checked 2026-10-30). Totals are our arithmetic from the yearly fees.

Worked example: a 4-year carpentry apprentice on the $19.16 training minimum wage for a 40-hour week earns about $39,853 in a year, and pays $1,984 in fees in year one, about 5% of that, falling to $964 a year after. Over the whole apprenticeship the fees come to $4,876, if the employer does not cover them.

Are apprenticeships paid in NZ?

Yes, always. An apprentice in New Zealand is an employee, so you are paid for every hour you work, including the hours you spend learning on the job. The floor is the training minimum wage of $19.16 an hour if you are 20 or over and your employment agreement requires at least 60 credits of training a year; otherwise it is the adult minimum wage of $23.95 an hour. Many employers pay more, and pay rises as you complete each stage. The detail is in how much apprentices get paid.

That also answers whether an apprenticeship can be unpaid: it cannot. If someone offers unpaid “apprentice” work, it is either work experience or a course you pay for, not an apprenticeship.

Are there free apprenticeships in New Zealand?

Not in the sense of no fees at all, but many apprentices pay nothing themselves. That happens in two ways: the employer agrees to pay the training fees, or Fees Free refunds the fees for the final 2 years once you complete (only if you finish by 31 December 2026, see below). In either case you are still paid a wage, so an apprenticeship never costs more than a fraction of what you earn during it.

Who pays apprenticeship fees: the apprentice or the employer?

Either, and it is negotiated. Some employers pay the fees in full as part of taking you on, some split them, and some expect the apprentice to pay. Whatever is agreed should be written down in your employment agreement, because a verbal promise is hard to rely on three years in.

• Ask who pays the training fees each year, and whether that changes if you leave early.
• Ask whether there is a bond or repayment clause if you leave before you finish.
• Ask who pays for tools, block course travel and accommodation.

Does Fees Free cover apprenticeships?

Yes, for the end of it. Inland Revenue, which now runs the scheme, says Fees Free “covers fees for the final year of tertiary study or final 2 years of work-based learning”. An apprenticeship is work-based learning, so it is the final 2 years that count.

It works as a refund, not a discount. You pay your fees when you enrol, then apply in myIR after you complete your first eligible qualification or programme. Inland Revenue lists two dates that matter:

• You must start your final year on or after 1 January 2025.
• You must complete your qualification or programme by 31 December 2026.

In most cases you can only get it if you are starting study or work-based learning for the first time. Inland Revenue says you may not qualify if you have already studied or done work-based learning, or have had a Fees Free payment before. Check your own case on the Inland Revenue page before you count on it. Career changers often fall into this group: see adult apprenticeships.

If you pay the fees, keep the receipts

If you or your family pay the fees, keep every invoice and receipt. You will need to know what was paid, and by whom, when you apply for Fees Free, and it matters if you change employers partway through and need to work out who owes what.

Before you sign

Fees are one line in a bigger deal. Pay, pay rises, who pays for block courses and how much supervision you actually get matter as much. Apprentices’ own experiences of particular employers are on the company pages, and if you have done an apprenticeship yourself, rating your employer takes a few minutes and helps the next person decide.

Common questions

Fees Free coverage, dates and eligibility from Inland Revenue — Fees Free, checked 2026-10-09. Training minimum wage from Employment New Zealand — Minimum wage rates and types, checked 2026-11-01.