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Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund
The Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund supports training programmes of 25 to 80 hours that are delivered to employed people, often on-site in the workplace. The programmes are tailored to meet the needs of employees and their employers. 
The programmes are offered in two ways:

training provider-led (TEO-led), and
employer-led.

The tasks and outcomes are the same for both approaches, but the funding and contracting process is different. 
The Fund is administered by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). It provides funding so employers can: 

provide high-quality literacy and numeracy programmes that are customised for their workplace, and
address productivity problems where the root cause is in the literacy and numeracy skill levels of employees.

From research, and from employers, we know that high-quality literacy and numeracy provision in the workplace that focuses on addressing employers’ productivity problems has positive effects for employers, and for employees and their families. 
TEO-led workplace literacy and numeracy programmes 
We fund training providers annually to deliver workplace literacy and numeracy programmes. Employers can work with a provider who develops and delivers the programme in consultation with them, or refer employees to the provider directly.
For more information about these programmes, including learner eligibility, see TEO-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund. 
See a list of providers currently offering these programmes.
Employer-led workplace literacy and numeracy programmes
The Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund provides funding directly to employers to provide workplace literacy and numeracy programmes. Employers apply directly to TEC to run a programme. The employer may be supported by a training provider to make this application. We make a contract with the employer for the proposed programme.
We expect employers to contract a person to work in-house or a third-party provider to develop and delivers the programme in consultation with them. 
See a list of providers currently offering these programmes.
Forming a consortium
Because employer-led programmes require a minimum number of employees, a consortium can be a way for smaller employers to apply to this Fund. An employer can form a consortium with other employers, which together can deliver a training programme to at least 20 employees. An external organisation such as a training provider, industry association or community group may sometimes lead the creation of a consortium with a group of employers. We are particularly interested in using consortia to include smaller employers that cannot easily access our funding. 
Apply for funding
For a detailed guide on how to apply for funding, including information for project managers of employer-led programme consortia, see the Employer-Led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund Application Guide (PDF 706 KB).
Use the following application forms.

There are set deadlines for applications. The deadlines for 2025 are:

Friday 7 February 2025
Friday 11 April 2025
Friday 13 June 2025
Friday 8 August 2025
Friday 10 October 2025.

Funding for workplace literacy and numeracy provision by employers is agreed through a funding letter. 
For more information on applying for funding, please contact our Customer Contact Group on 0800 601 301 or customerservice@tec.govt.nz.
Current and recently funded employer-led programmes 
See a list of current and recently funded employer-led workplace literacy and numeracy programmes (PDF 230 KB). This list is accurate as at May 2024. 
Contact us
Please contact us on 0800 601 301 or customerservice@tec.govt.nz and ask to speak to a Skills Highway Relationship Manager.

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Last updated 8 November 2024
Last updated 8 November 2024

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Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (EWLN) Fund funding supports the delivery of literacy and numeracy programmes for employees to increase their literacy and numeracy skills, and to contribute to workplace productivity.
Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (EWLN) Fund funding supports the delivery of literacy and numeracy programmes for employees to increase their literacy and numeracy skills, and to contribute to workplace productivity.

We fund Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy (EWLN) provision to:

raise adults’ literacy and numeracy skills, and
contribute to workplace productivity by providing and evaluating literacy and numeracy learning in the workplace.

This information relates to Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy funding. For information about TEO-led WLN funding, see TEO-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund.
EWLN Fund funding helps employers to:

provide high-quality literacy and numeracy programmes that are customised for their workplace,
address productivity problems due to employees’ literacy and numeracy skill levels,
raise adults’ literacy and numeracy skills,
increase opportunities for adults to engage in literacy and numeracy learning, particularly those in low-skilled employment, and
improve the quality and relevance of provision, including the ability to identify learner need and learning gain.

From research, employer reports and direct employer engagement, we know that high-quality literacy and numeracy provision in the workplace has positive effects for employers, employees and their families.
EWLN programmes are aimed at employees who have low literacy and/or numeracy skills and/or English as a second language. High-quality programmes can include:

describing the workplace issues, how these impact on productivity and how the impact is measured,
outlining the programme content and how it will address and improve the workplace issues,
assessing each learner’s literacy and numeracy skills at the start of the programme using the online adaptive option of the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool (LNAAT), and
understanding and reporting on individual outcomes for employees that contribute to a higher-performing workplace.

Apply for funding
For a detailed guide on how to apply for funding, including information for project managers of employer-led programme consortia, see the Employer-led Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund Application Guide (PDF 706 KB).
Use the following application forms:

There are set deadlines for applications. The deadlines for 2025 are:

Friday 7 February 2025
Friday 11 April 2025
Friday 13 June 2025
Friday 8 August 2025
Friday 10 October 2025.

Funding for workplace literacy and numeracy provision by employers is agreed through a funding letter.
For more information on applying for funding, please contact our Customer Contact Group on 0800 601 301 or customerservice@tec.govt.nz.
Resources
Key resources for EWLN-funded programmes include: 

Source: Tertiary Education Commission

Last updated 25 June 2025
Last updated 25 June 2025

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This page contains information about the transition to DXP Ngā Kete. 
This page contains information about the transition to DXP Ngā Kete. 

SDR full transition
The Single Data Return (SDR) – and registers – transition to DXP Ngā Kete in February 2025, after tertiary education organisations (TEOs) complete their December 2024 SDR in Services for Tertiary Organisations (STEO). The March Indicative and April SDR are the first returns to be completed in DXP Ngā Kete. TEOs continue to use STEO up to 21 February 2025 (except for pilot TEOs, which already use DXP Ngā Kete).
SDR transition timeline
Here are the key dates for the SDR transition.

Key dates 
Use STEO:
Use DXP Ngā Kete:

Up to 20 February 9.00pm 
Submit register change requests and process trial SDR uploads (for the April SDR)

All TEOs – use for commitments, Other Fund Actuals and document sharing 
Pilot TEOs only – submit register change requests and process trial SDR uploads (for the April SDR) 

20 February 9.00pm to end of day 24 February
STEO is shut down and the STEO icon is removed from TEC website
Access to DXP Ngā Kete is disabled

 
Full transition to DXP Ngā Kete: The DSR team will migrate data and prepare DXP Ngā Kete registers and SDR for all TEOs

From 25 February 9.00am
 

Access to DXP Ngā Kete is restored with the new Registers and SDR
Submit qualification, course and delivery site change requests and process trial SDR uploads (for the 2025 April SDR)

1–6 March
 

Submit March Indicative Return (IND)

14–29 April
 

Submit April SDR (11 April is the extract date for the April 2025 SDR)

Data migration includes:  

all SDR and IND submissions
qualifications, courses and delivery sites and change requests
course change requests where the total fee is within the 2025 Annual Maximum Fee Movement (AMFM) tolerance, all of which will have auto-approved status applied

Note:

Qlik apps will not be updated over this period.
First-year Fees Free reports and data submissions remain on Workspace 2 and are not impacted by SDR transition.

SDR webinars  
To learn more about the SDR transition to DXP Ngā Kete, you can register to attend webinars.

Source: New Zealand Government

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop encourages New Zealanders to have their say on the draft National Infrastructure Plan released today by the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission. 

“Improving the way we plan, fund, maintain and build our infrastructure is critical to boosting economic growth and increasing productivity and living standards, and so the Government welcomes today’s draft report by the independent Infrastructure Commission.

“Contrary to many perceptions, New Zealand spends a lot on infrastructure. We are in the top 10% of the OECD for infrastructure investment spending over the last decade – but in the bottom 10% of the OECD when it comes to getting ‘bang for buck’ from our spending. As the Commission says, we need to “lift our game” and there are many draft recommendations in the draft plan that will help drive better value for money from public investment. 

“I am pleased to see the draft Plan makes recommendations that align with existing Government priorities, such as making better use of user pricing to fund investment, adopting spatial planning, prioritising infrastructure through the resource management system, and drastically improving asset management and maintenance. The Government will continue to advance these policy priorities and will be informed by the Commission’s final report due later in the year.

“It is clear that the central government infrastructure system needs to drastically improve. As the Commission notes, central government is New Zealand’s largest owner and funder of infrastructure. Government owns around 40% of our total stock of infrastructure and funds almost half of all infrastructure investment each year. 

“However, the system is underperforming. Half of all proposals for investment in Budgets 2023 and 2024 did not have a business case. There are regularly large gaps between Budget funding being allocated and projects actually starting. 

“Asset maintenance is a major problem, with New Zealand ranked fourth to last in the OECD for asset management, and dead last for the metric on Accountability and Professionalism. Over half of all capital-intensive government agencies do not have robust, comprehensive asset registers in place or adequate plans for looking after existing infrastructure. Maintenance spending is regularly diverted to building new infrastructure, resulting in costly catch-up spending later. In practice, years of poor asset management means leaky hospitals and schools, mould in police stations and courthouses, service outages on commuter rail, and poor accommodation for Defence Force personnel and their families.

“Cabinet has already agreed to an all-of-Government work programme that will improve central government asset management and performance, including investigating legislative requirements for the development of ten-year investment plans by capital intensive agencies and performance reporting requirements.

“The Government is determined to improve New Zealand’s infrastructure system and to work alongside the industry and other political parties to establish a broad consensus about what needs to change.  I’ve encouraged the Commission to brief all political parties as they develop the draft plan and I’ll be writing again to relevant spokespeople encouraging them to give their feedback to the Commission over the next few weeks.

“The Government will respond to the finalised National Infrastructure Plan in 2026, once it is presented by the Commission in late 2025. As part of that response we will be engaging with other political parties in Parliament, and I intend to ask the Business Committee to hold a special Parliamentary debate on the plan. 

“I thank the Infrastructure Commission for its hard work in delivering this draft National Infrastructure Plan. I encourage everyone to provide their feedback on it through the consultation process, and I look forward to receiving the final version toward the end of this year.” 

Source: New Zealand Police

Two burglaries occurred in central Christchurch in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

At about 2.10am an alarm activated at a Withells Road, Avonhead address, then shortly after at the Kwik Kiwi Diner, on Parkhouse Road, Wigram.

During the attempt to break into Withells Road), the would-be burglars activated the fog cannon.

In their rush to escape the scene they have left behind a number of items, which will be forensically examined.

Then at about 2.25am, Police received a call that a car had been driven into the front door of the Kwik Kiwi Diner.

Several offenders were seen on CCTV carrying a cigarette cabinet out of the store.

Enquiries are ongoing.

Police ask any witnesses or those with CCTV in the area to call 105 and reference the relevant event number (shown below).

Please call Police on 111, if you are offered cheap cigarettes or have any information relating to this offence. You can call anonymously using Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Withells Road event number – P062970988
Kwik Kiwi Diner event number – P062971031

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Team

Source: New Zealand Police

Police used 111 calls to track a fleeing driver, who was arrested after allegedly crashing into two innocent motorists at Ōhaupō yesterday.

Inspector Hywel Jones, Waikato Acting District Commander praised the multiple people who called 111 to report a vehicle’s dangerous driving.

“Those members of the public not only helped us locate and track a stolen vehicle that was being driven dangerously, they’ve potentially saved lives. Thankfully there were no serious injuries following yesterday’s incident, but it’s a miracle there weren’t other crashes based on the information we were getting.”

The incident began about 11.15am in Huntly, when officers were responding to several reports of dangerous driving. After initially spotting the suspect vehicle travelling towards Hamilton on the Waikato Expressway, Police lost sight of the car.

Reports from the public at 12pm led Police to Pine Avenue in Hamilton, then State Highway 3 at Ōhaupō five minutes later.

“Officers have monitored the car for several minutes and then signalled the driver to stop. He’s continued driving, so other units laid road spikes further down State Highway 3.

“In an attempt to avoid the spikes, the fleeing driver nearly collided with a member of the public’s vehicle.”

Inspector Jones said a pursuit was authorised about 12.10pm, but less than a minute later, at the West Road intersection, the fleeing driver crashed into two other vehicles being driven by members of the public.

“Thankfully, neither of those innocent drivers was injured, and somehow the alleged driver of the fleeing vehicle was also unharmed. He fled the scene on foot, but was tracked by a Police dog and arrested at 12.15pm.

“I want to thank those people who called 111 when they saw this horrendous driving – those calls were critical for us and helped us locate the alleged driver and ultimately arrest him.

“It’s only down to luck that we aren’t dealing with a death as a result of this driving, and a large part of that has been down to fast-thinking people picking up the phone.”

The 19-year-old driver has been charged with failing to stop for police, unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, and failing to stop or ascertain injury. He is scheduled to appear in Hamilton District Court on 27 June.

State Highway 3 at the intersection with West Road was closed for several hours while the Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination. The road has since reopened.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre. 

Source: Maritime New Zealand

The annual Maritime and Oil Pollution Levies for the year 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 will be invoiced in late July 2025.

Source: New Zealand Police

The northbound lane of Wobern Road, Lower Hutt is closed after a car has rolled.

At about 7.30am emergency services were notified.

Injuries are unknown.

The carriage way is currently closed with diversions using Myrtle Street.

Drivers are advised to avoid the area and be patient in the area due to the volume of traffic this morning.

ENDS

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is taking another step to strengthen the fiscal sustainability and integrity of the immigration system following the successful first reading of the Immigration (Fiscal Sustainability and System Integrity) Amendment Bill.

“Our immigration system needs to be smart, responsive and flexible to keep pace with the changing geopolitical context.  The changes proposed will help ensure our settings appropriately respond to risk and are sustainable,” Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says.  

“The Bill introduces appropriate safeguards in the system for vulnerable people and implements legislative recommendations from two independent King’s Counsel (KC) reviews of the immigration system. It also offers pragmatic updates to keep the Act current and support efficient visa processing.” 

Changes include: 

• Introducing appropriate safeguards in the system for vulnerable people, including refugees and protection claimants, as recommended in the 2022 Victoria Casey review. 
• Introducing a requirement for a judicial warrant for any ‘out-of-hours’ compliance activity, as recommended in the 2023 Micheal Heron review. 
• Tightening some settings so that more instances of migrant exploitation can be prosecuted, and strengthening consequences for residence class visa holders who commit criminal offences.
• Ensuring the system is flexible to respond to unusual events, such as natural disasters.  

Other changes, such as the options to expand the immigration levy payer base and create a new immigration levy in the future, will enable a greater sharing of the costs of the immigration, although there is no intent to implement these changes this year. 

“These sensible and timely changes will help futureproof the immigration system, and better balance the integrity of the immigration system with the rights of individuals,” Ms Stanford says. 

Source: New Zealand Government

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has met with the Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, to mark 60 years of diplomatic representation between New Zealand and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

“The Netherlands is one of New Zealand’s oldest and closest friends. Our people share strong bonds, enriched by the 150,000 New Zealanders who have Dutch heritage,” Mr Luxon says.

“In our discussions, Prime Minister Schoof and I reaffirmed our commitment to global peace and security, pledged to increase bilateral trade and investment, and promote further innovation between our researchers.”

The Netherlands is one of New Zealand’s top export destinations within the EU.

“The Netherlands is crucial to New Zealand’s economic growth. Our exports have grown by 24 percent since last year,” Mr Luxon says.

“It is New Zealand’s greatest source of foreign direct investment from the EU, and it is also a base for many Kiwi businesses in Europe.”

Mr Luxon will now attend the NATO Summit in the Hague. 

A joint statement from Mr Luxon and Mr Schoof is attached.