50733 (2025). Shanan Halbert to the Minister for Vocational Education

50733 (2025). Shanan Halbert to the Minister for Vocational Education: How, if at all, has provision, funding or other government influence factors for foundation education changed during the last 12 months?

Hon Penny Simmonds: Budget 2025 included a three percent increase in tuition and training subsidies for foundation education (excluding Māori and Pasifika Trades Training) and ongoing funding for another 175 Youth Guarantee places per year. I am advised by the Ministry of Education that the 2025 funding determinations introduced the following operational changes to foundational education: • Providers can now deliver foundation education online in real time (synchronous delivery). Delivery that is not in real time (asynchronous delivery) requires prior approval from the Tertiary Education Commission. • Learner eligibility requirements for Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund were widened by removing some disqualifying circumstances. • The NCEA literacy and numeracy co-requisite standards are now eligible to be funded under Youth Guarantee. • Charter schools were added to the list of institutions eligible to deliver foundation education.