12952 (2025). Camilla Belich to the Minister for Vocational Education

12952 (2025). Camilla Belich to the Minister for Vocational Education: What is the total amount, if any, spent on social media advertising and influencers by any agencies under the Minister’s responsibility since 27 November 2023, broken down by agency and platform?

Hon Penny Simmonds: Since 27 November 2023, the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) has spent $152,921 on social media advertising. This has been split across five campaigns where social media advertising has been included within the advertising mix: • Job Hunters Workbook campaign is focused on young people who are currently facing disproportionately high unemployment rates to use the Job Hunter’s Workbook resource. The campaign has spent $10,500 on Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and TikTok. • Pacific Work Connect spent $37,896 until 31 June 2024 on social media advertising to help eligible Pacific migrants to get ready for work in New Zealand. The social media advertising campaign on Meta (Facebook and Instagram) & Google*. • Vocational Education and Training campaign was to improve the perceptions and increase participation in VET spent $22,485 on Meta advertising (Facebook and Instagram) and $11,800 on TikTok until 30 June 2024. • Fees Free ran a campaign to encourage people to check their eligibility for first-year Fees Free and ran until 30 June 2024. Advertising was a total of $14,340 on Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and $7,200 on TikTok. • Inspiring the Future connects schools and young people with volunteers from the world of work, with the aim of broadening their career horizons and challenging stereotypes about jobs. The social media advertising spent $48,700 on Meta (Facebook and Instagram), YouTube, and on-demand video*. TEC are unable to provide more detailed breakdown by individual platform beyond this amount.