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Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Last updated 21 May 2025
Last updated 21 May 2025

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In December 2023, the Government announced its intention to disestablish Te Pūkenga | New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology and Workforce Development Councils (WDCs).
In December 2023, the Government announced its intention to disestablish Te Pūkenga | New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology and Workforce Development Councils (WDCs).

The Government plans to establish Industry Skills Boards (ISBs) to manage standards-setting and associated functions and will re-establish institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs) as either stand-alone or federated entities.
In December 2024, the Government agreed to introduce legislation that would:

disestablish Te Pūkenga
enable the establishment of ITPs as either stand-alone or federated entities
establish ISBs to manage standards-setting and associated functions.

Government decisions to be made in 2025 include:

details on the legislation to enable the changes
the future model for work-based learning
funding frameworks to support the new entities and delivery models
which ITPs will be stand-alone or federated entities
the number and coverage of ISBs.

More information
New work-based learning model
Consultation on Industry Skills Boards’ coverage (now closed)
Help establish Industry Skills Boards
Redesign of Vocational Education and Training System – Ministry of Education

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Last updated 21 May 2025
Last updated 21 May 2025

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This page provides information about the data required for reporting Work-based delivery (Actuals) on DXP Ngā Kete.
This page provides information about the data required for reporting Work-based delivery (Actuals) on DXP Ngā Kete.

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

On this page:

Only qualifications and programmes at Levels 3 and above on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF) are eligible. Eligible qualifications and programmes must be recognised by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) or Universities New Zealand and funded by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) from:

the Delivery at Levels 3–7 (non-degree) on the NZQCF and all industry training Fund (DQ3-7), or
the Delivery at Levels 7 (degree) to 10 on the NZQCF Fund (DQ7-10), or
grants under section 556 of the Education and Training Act 2020 for tertiary provision towards a qualification on the NZQCF at Levels 3 or above.

Provider-based qualifications
Eligible provider-based qualifications are TEC-funded and are equal to or greater than 0.5 equivalent full-time students (EFTS).
Work-based programmes
Eligible work-based programmes are TEC-funded programmes comprising at least 120 credits.
Qualifications and programmes that are not eligible for final-year Fees Free
The following are not eligible for final-year Fees Free:

school learning programmes and secondary tertiary programmes
certificates of proficiency
pathway qualifications
zero fee programmes
qualifications funded through the Youth Guarantee (YG) Fund, Māori and Pasifika Trades Training (MPTT), or the Refugee English Funds 
qualifications and programmes at Levels 1 or 2 on the NZQCF
provider-based qualifications that are less than 0.5 EFTS, or work-based programmes that are less than 120 credits.

Pathway qualifications
Pathway qualifications are qualifications that prepare learners to progress into further study and training by supporting them to meet minimum entry requirements and/or to develop the required skills for higher study. For the purposes of final-year Fees Free, this includes:

bridging qualifications, Certificates of University Preparation, Certificates in Study and Employment Pathways, and Level 3 Study and Career Preparation (except when primarily intended for career preparation).

Qualifications focussed mainly on subject-specific content, such as arts or science, and are mostly cross-credited towards a higher qualification are unlikely to be a pathway qualification.
Any qualification confirmed as a pathway qualification will be excluded for all learners. The exclusion is not able to take into account individual learner intentions.
View the list of pathway qualifications that are excluded from Fees Free:
Pathway qualifications (XLSX 26 KB)
To request to add or remove a qualification from the list of pathway qualifications excluded from Fees Free, contact customerservice@tec.govt.nz with the subject: (EDUMIS number) Final-year Fees Free – pathway qualifications. Please briefly outline how the qualification you wish to add/remove from the list does/doesn’t meet the definition of a pathway qualification.
Qualification completion date
The qualification completion date is defined as the date the learner has met the requirements to be awarded the qualification (whether an eligible provider-based qualification or work-based programme). This should align with what is recorded on the learner’s New Zealand Record of Achievement.
For provider-based study, TEOs must submit the qualification completion date as part of their SDR submission from August 2025.
TEOs already report work-based programme completion dates to NZQA, which NZQA provide to TEC.
Qualification and programme eligibility FAQs
Why must provider-based qualifications comprise at least 0.5 EFTS and work-based programmes at least 120 credits to be eligible?
Setting a minimum threshold mitigates the risk of learners using their Fees Free entitlement on small pieces of study or training. For example, a learner will not be able to unknowingly consume their entitlement on a very short programme of 0.2 EFTS.
Setting the eligibility criteria for provider-based qualifications at 0.5 EFTS or greater means that the large number of learners who complete qualifications at this level, and don’t go on to do further study or training, can access final-year Fees Free.
A work-based programme minimum of 120 credits gives assurance that the training programme has career benefit for the learner. It reduces the risk that learners will either use up their Fees Free entitlement on short training programmes directed by (and often entirely paid for by) their employers, or that employers will shift training costs onto learners.
Why aren’t Level 1 and 2 qualifications covered by Fees Free?
The Fees Free policy aligns eligibility with student support and government tuition subsidies.
Foundation programmes and qualifications (at NZQCF Levels 1 and 2) are excluded because provider-based Level 1 and 2 study is already fees-free, and learners shouldn’t have to use their Fees Free entitlement on courses and programmes intended to prepare them for tertiary education at Levels 3 and above.
Why do programmes and courses have to be recognised and funded to be available for Fees Free?
Fees Free was designed to help New Zealanders access high-quality tertiary education that provides skills for life and work. When a course or programme is both recognised by the NZQA or Universities New Zealand, and funded by the TEC, it means the course is of a high educational standard.
Are private training establishment (PTE) courses covered by Fees Free?
Yes, as long as the provider-based qualification or work-based programme meets the eligibility criteria.
What happens if a learner is enrolled in two qualifications at the same time?
For provider-based study, a learner enrolled in two qualifications at the same time will only receive Fees Free on completion of their first qualification. We’ll use the qualification completion date reported by TEOs to determine the first completed qualification.
For work-based learning, eligibility is based on the learner’s first programme completion (apprenticeship or training programme) rather than the qualifications that make up that programme, many of which will be under the 120-credit minimum.

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

On this page:

Claiming Fees Free entitlement
From 2026, after completing their first eligible provider-based qualification or work-based programme, learners will log in to myIR to confirm their eligibility (ie, if they meet the criteria), and claim their final-year Fees Free entitlement.
Learners have 12 months to claim their entitlement once they have completed their qualification or programme. Learners that complete their first qualification in 2025, before the claim process is available, will have until the end of 2026 to claim their entitlement.
Learners need to organise payment of their fees as required by their tertiary education organisation (TEO). TEOs will not receive Fees Free payments from the tertiary education commission (TEC) or Inland Revenue (IR) on behalf of eligible learners under the final-year Fees Free policy.
Roles of agencies
The Ministry of Education leads the policy work for final-year Fees Free. The TEC and IR lead the implementation work. 
TEC is responsible for collecting learner enrolment and qualification completion data from TEOs. TEC will determine qualification/programme eligibility, calculate entitlement for learners, and provide data to IR to support identity matching and the assessment of learner eligibility. TEC will continue to hold the relationship with TEOs with regards to Fees Free.
IR is responsible for assessing learner eligibility and paying entitlement to eligible learners. IR will provide support to learners through their customer service channels.
Data collection
To support the final-year Fees Free policy, TEOs will need to submit learner fee and provider-based qualification completion data. To reduce ongoing administrative burden for TEOs, we plan to collect this data using the Single Data Return (SDR) and Industry Training Register (ITR) collection processes on DXP Ngā Kete, instead of the separate monthly reporting templates used for the first-year Fees Free scheme. However, this will require system changes to the SDR/ITR and to student/trainee management systems, to ensure we collect the data required.
With the Data System Refresh (DSR) programme already underway, we are integrating the data collection requirements for final-year Fees Free into the existing DSR specifications. 
Provider-based data changes will be integrated into the data specifications for SDR in May 2025. Fees Free data submissions will be required for the first time in the August 2025 SDR.

Work-based data changes are expected to be integrated into the work-based data specifications in December 2024. Fees Free data submissions will be required for the first time from July 2025.

Identity matching
We’re asking TEOs to collect and report learner IRD numbers to TEC to enable effective and efficient data matching across agencies and to support the payment of Fees Free entitlement payments by IR. A learner’s IRD number will be used alongside their NSN and date of birth to confirm their identity and help confirm their eligibility.
We are undertaking a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for the collection of IRD numbers by TEOs, and the Ministry of Education has provided a summary of the initial PIA to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
We will provide TEOs with advice on collection, retention and deletion of IRD numbers.
Implementation FAQs
If an employer pays for a learner’s fees, can the employer claim the entitlement when the learner completes their qualification?
IR will only be making payments directly to learners – either offsetting their loan balance by the relevant amount for learners with loans or paying the learner’s entitlement into a nominated bank account.
The final-year Fees Free policy is about rewarding learners for completing their tertiary study or training. Paying Fees Free entitlement to employers does not align with this. It would also add significant administrative complexity and cost which does not align with the Government’s overall focus on improving the effectiveness, efficiency and responsiveness of public services.
Employers and learners will need to agree on how they will manage situations where the employer pays the fees. Employers may wish to adapt employment practices and contracts as necessary.
Are there tax implications for learners receiving the entitlement?
Fees Free entitlement paid to the learner will not be considered income for tax purposes.
There are tax implications if an employer has paid a learner’s fees and claimed them as an expense, and the learner agrees to repay the employer the Fees Free entitlement. Once the employer receives the payment from the learner, the amount will be taxable to the employer.  
Will statutory declarations still be used to confirm eligibility?
No. Learners will need to declare that they meet eligibility criteria when they apply for their Fees Free entitlement via myIR. They will be asked to provide relevant information and confirm that the information is true and correct as part of this process.
While creating the proposed implementation design, we considered the barriers that statutory declarations create for some learners and opted for an application process that could be completed digitally to reduce administrative complexity for learners and agencies.
Will TEOs be able to check a learner’s eligibility?
No, TEOs will not be able to check a learner’s eligibility.
Learners will be able to work through the eligibility criteria and determine if they think they meet them. In 2025, we aim to provide a tool for learners to self-assess their eligibility against the full criteria.
However, learners won’t be able to confirm their eligibility using their NSN until after they have completed their qualification or programme, and the TEC will not be providing a list of the eligible learners by NSN to TEOs. This is because we won’t know whether the learner is eligible or not until they complete their qualification or programme, and they may need to submit additional information to IR to confirm eligibility.
We will provide TEOs with as much information as possible on entitlement settings and programme eligibility so they can help learners understand their entitlement.
What happens if the learner hasn’t paid their fees to the TEO?
TEOs will be responsible for ensuring that learners pay their fees and for recovering any debt the learner has. Fees Free entitlement will not be paid to the TEO where the learner has not paid their fees.
There is no intention to include a reporting field for TEOs to record whether fees have been paid in full, or to provide this information to IR.
How soon after completion will learners receive their entitlement?
We will be ready to start making payments in early 2026, including payments for eligible learners who completed their qualification in 2025. A learner can apply for their entitlement at any time, but the frequency of payments is yet to be confirmed, as they rely on the frequency of data collection.

Source: Maritime New Zealand

Maritime NZ knows many Maritime Transport Operator Certificates (MTOCs) expire this year and we want to help. We’re making renewal straightforward so it’s easy for you.

Source: Maritime New Zealand

Maritime NZ is proposing important changes to the Maritime Rules for vessel design, construction and equipment. These rules (sometimes known as the ‘40-Series’) are well over 20 years old and are in need of reform.

Source: Maritime New Zealand

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Source: Maritime New Zealand

There was good news for safety in the Cook Strait on 17 April when Minister of Transport Chris Bishop announced that the Government is considering next steps on developing an emergency ocean response capability and has contracted anchor handling tug supply vessel – the MMA Vision – to provide assurance in the meantime.

Source: Maritime New Zealand

New Zealand recently led an inspection campaign to assess seafarers’ employment conditions on board ships of various flag states subject to Port State Control. The campaign was a collaboration between both the Tokyo and Paris Memoranda of Understanding, with Maritime NZ staff participating throughout.

Source: PHARMAC

Pharmac is sharing the agenda for the upcoming Rare Disorders Advisory Committee meeting to be held on Tuesday 10 June 2025.