Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Wasn't it reassuring to hear some promising promises made by the Prime Minister Chris Hipkins over the weekend? The promises were apropos the future of apprenticeships and the blinding need to ensure that we have an ongoing supply of tradespeople being brought through the ranks. Chris Hipkins used his first major speech to his party faithful to promise to keep an existing apprenticeship scheme in place. He delivered the keynote address to about 400 party faithful at Labour's election year congress in Wellington yesterday. He said if Labour secured a third term, the party would make the apprenticeship boost scheme permanent. The programme, which was introduced as a temporary pandemic measure in 2020, pays employers $500 a month over two years for every apprentice they train. This is the dangling carrot before us that will undoubtedly secure the apprenticeship scheme and create opportunities and help ease skill shortages. If you’re an employer currently making use of the apprenticeship scheme, what does this pr