The Training Wage
Information on the current minimum wage rates in New Zealand.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (who oversee the minimum wage) and HITO understand that businesses put a lot of time and money into training apprentices. The training wage is an effort to allow businesses to invest money otherwise paid to an employee into their training while they work towards becoming a fully qualified senior.
New Zealand minimum wage rates:
Employers must pay at least the starting-out wage to 16-19 year-olds who undertake at least 40 credits per year of industry training.
Employers must pay at least the training wage to anyone 20 or older who undertakes 60 credits per year of training. If you intend to pay your trainee these wages, reassess this at the beginning of each year to make sure they’re still eligible.
Both the starting-out wage and the training wage are always 80% of the adult minimum wage.
The minimum wages are the minimum that employers must pay. Employers should consider paying more to represent the learner’s growth in skills and productivity as they develop during their training and to encourage staff retention.
N.B: Employers must pay employees at least the adult minimum wage once their training agreement has ended.
You can find more information on wages and other employment conditions from the Employment New Zealand website.