Flexi-wage – job seeker information
Flexi-wage is one of the ways we're supporting more New Zealanders into work, by helping you get the skills you need for the job, and supporting more employers to hire staff.
Flexi-wage can support you if you need some extra help to get started and learn the skills you need for a job.
What's Flexi-wage
Flexi-wage can help you get the skills you need to meet the entry-level requirements for a job.
You can get training and ongoing support if you need it, and your employer can get a wage contribution to help them pay your wages. The job must continue after the Flexi-wage has finished.
Who can get it
You may be able to get Flexi-wage if you:
- are likely to need a benefit for a long time if you don’t get this assistance, and
- haven't worked for a long time, and
- need training to meet the entry-level requirements for the job
and/or
- have difficulty getting or keeping a job. For example, you might have barriers to finding a job because you need education or training, or your current job may be at risk.
Flexi-wage can help you get the skills you need to do a job, which might be with:
- an employer who wants to hire you, or
- an employer you're already working for who needs to move you into a different role that requires further training and more hours, rather than making you redundant.
The employer also needs to meet the 'Who can get it' criteria outlined in Flexi-wage - employer information.
Flexi-wage - employer information
The job must:
- pay at least the minimum wage
- have the minimum number of hours to meet any work obligations
and be either:
- ongoing, continuing after Flexi-wage has finished, or
- a fixed-term project that benefits the community or environment and will help you gain the skills needed to get into work once it's finished.
What support you can get
Support from us can include:
- a contribution to your wages - we'll pay this to your employer
- training
- ongoing support.
We'll talk to your employer about what you need and how we can help.
How to find out more
If you're already talking to us about finding or getting ready for work, ask about Flexi-wage.
Otherwise, call us on 0800 559 009 to book an appointment to talk about Flexi-wage and how we can help you into work. You’ll need a client number to book an appointment – if you don’t already have one, you can request a client number here.