Are apprenticeships still hours based?

Apprenticeships are no longer hours based. Once the required number of credits has been achieved [including successfully completing exams], a National Certificate is awarded and the apprenticeship is complete. Depending on the qualification, you will take up to four years to achieve a National Certificate and complete your apprenticeship.

How do I gain credits?

Your skills and knowledge are assessed against ‘unit standards’, which describe the skills and knowledge you need in order to achieve the qualification. Each unit standard has a credit value and once you’re assessed as being competent in a particular unit standard, you gain credits.

Is there an age limit for apprenticeships?

No. You can be 16 or 116.

Can I complete two off-job levels in one year?

No. ETITO is unable to fund two levels of off-job training in a twelve month period.

Can I change my training provider half-way through my study?

We don’t encourage trainees to change provider during their study, unless there are special circumstances. If this is the case, we need to ensure that your new training provider is still accepting enrolments and that ETITO has a course place available at your level.

I am leaving my current employer, what do I need to do?

You need to contact ETITO on the day you finish employment with your current employer. We can then confirm this with your current employer and terminate your Training Agreement. You then need to sign a new Training Agreement with a new employer within 30 days of this termination. Either you or your new employer can request a new Training Agreement.

Once your current Training Agreement is terminated, your course place is only held open for one month – giving you time to sign a new Training Agreement. If no new Training Agreement is received within that time, you will be withdrawn from your course.


I have a whole lot of blue slips signed by my assessor, where do I send them to?

You can post this to our freepost address, which is: ETITO, Freepost 5164, PO Box 24-469, Royal Oak, Auckland.

How can I find out how I'm doing?

You can access your individual Record of Learning [ROL] on the New Zealand Qualifications Authority [NZQA] website [www.nzqa.org.nz], or you can contact ETITO and it will be sent out to you.

Training Agreements

In 2011 there are changes to the information collected when employers sign new training agreements, to find out more about these requirements, click here