“The Government is putting young workers at risk because of political spin over apprenticeships,” claims New Zealand First Education spokesperson, Hon Brian Donnelly.

The Apprenticeship Training Bill applies only to those 500 under the Modern Apprenticeship programme, and not to the 60,000 existing trade trainees.”

The legislation provides extra workplace safety protections for those under the Modern Apprenticeship programme but leads people to believe these protections apply to all apprentices.

There is also to be a code of practice developed for apprentices that will only apply to those on the Modern Apprenticeship programme.

Far from the celebrated transparency this Government prides itself on, the Apprenticeship Training Bill is absolutely opaque.

“To take away the risk to workers the wording in the legislation must make it clear that it applies only to the Modern Apprenticeship programme. Anything less will create total confusion,” said Mr Donnelly.

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