Workplace literacy and numeracy funding

Workplace literacy and numeracy funding

Last updated 16 October 2024
Last updated 16 October 2024

This page explains the government funding assistance available to employers for workplace literacy and numeracy programmes, and how to apply for it.

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 675 KB).

Use the following application forms.

There are set deadlines for applications. The deadlines for 2024 are: 

  • Friday 9 February 2024
  • Friday 12 April 2024
  • Friday 14 June 2024
  • Friday 9 August 2024
  • Friday 11 October 2024.

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.

EWLN programmes that commenced in 2020

  • Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure Ltd
  • ABEs Real Bagels Ltd
  • Alexander Group Holdings Ltd
  • Alliance Services Ltd
  • Allied Laundry Services Ltd
  • Altus Enterprises
  • Auckland District Health Board
  • Ballance Agri Nutrients Ltd
  • BCG Ltd & Consortium
  • Cambridge Excavators Ltd
  • Cardinal Logistics Ltd
  • Cargill Enterprises
  • Christchurch Casinos Ltd
  • Comvita Ltd
  • D&G Trading Ltd
  • Dees Streatery Ltd
  • Delmaine Fine Foods Ltd
  • Dempsey Wood Holdings Ltd
  • Edelsten Trading Ltd
  • Evolution Traffic Management Ltd
  • Foodstuffs South Island Ltd
  • Forbes Packaging Ltd
  • George Western Foods Ltd
  • Goodman Fielder NZ Ltd
  • Griffins Foods Ltd
  • HEB Construction Ltd
  • Huhtamaki NZ Ltd
  • Independent Traffic Control
  • Inghams Enterprise NZ Ltd
  • International Panel & Lumber Ltd
  • James Dunlop Textiles Ltd
  • Jarvia Company Ltd
  • John Fillmore Contracting Ltd
  • Korahi Alliance Ltd
  • Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust
  • Life Health Foods Ltd
  • Lyttleton Port Company Ltd
  • Mainstream NZ Ltd
  • Marryatt Holdings Ltd
  • Masterton Food Warehouse Ltd
  • Mataura Licensing Trust
  • Metro Performance Glass Ltd
  • Miramar Supermarkets Ltd
  • Moonshine Farms Ltd
  • Nauhria Precast Ltd
  • New World Whakatane
  • New Zealand Manuka Group Ltd
  • NZ Comfort Group Ltd
  • Oji Fibre Solutions Ltd
  • OPAC Growers Ltd
  • Pak n Save Upper Hutt
  • Perfect Produce Ltd
  • Powerbase Ltd
  • Progessive Meats Ltd
  • Ruapehu Food Warehouse Ltd
  • Sanitarium Health & Wellbeing
  • Secureflight Ltd
  • Silver Fern Farms
  • Smartfoods Ltd
  • Solo Plastics Ltd
  • South Waikato Achievement Trust
  • Southroads Ltd
  • SSS Contracting
  • Tasti Products Ltd
  • Te Pou Oranga O Whakatōhea Ltd
  • Thames Foodbarn Ltd
  • The Labour Exchange Ltd
  • Toll Networks NZ Ltd
  • Treescape Ltd
  • Tunnicliffe Timber Solutions Ltd
  • Ventia NZ Ltd
  • Ventia Services Group Pty Ltd
  • Waitaki Resource Recovery Trust
  • Waste Management NZ Ltd
  • Whakatane District Council
  • Winstone Wallboards Ltd
  • Zealandia Horticulture Ltd

 

EWLN programmes that commenced in 2021

  • Alexander Group Holdings Ltd
  • Alive Foods
  • Alliance Services Ltd
  • Allied Laundry Services Ltd
  • Altus Enterprises
  • Auckland District Health Board
  • BP Oil NZ Ltd
  • C3 Ltd
  • Cargill Enterprises
  • Carrfields Holdings Ltd
  • CentrePort Ltd
  • Comvita Ltd
  • Dad’s Pies Ltd
  • Dees Streatery Ltd
  • Earthwise Group Ltd
  • Eastpack Ltd
  • Edelsten Trading Consortium
  • Fel Group Ltd
  • Fonterra Brands NZ Ltd
  • Griffins Foods Ltd
  • HEB Construction Ltd
  • Higgins Group Holdings Ltd
  • ICB Retaining & Piling Ltd
  • James Dunlop Textiles Ltd
  • Jenkins Freshpac Systems Ltd
  • Juken New Zealand Ltd
  • Kajavala Forestry Ltd
  • Kalista Ltd
  • Levante Technologies Ltd
  • Life Health Foods Ltd
  • LM Technologies Ltd
  • Mataura Licensing Trust
  • New World Whakatane
  • New Zealand Health Association
  • Nimon & Sons Ltd
  • Northern Districts Security Ltd
  • NZ Manuka Group
  • Opotiki Packing & Coolstorage Ltd
  • Ora King Ltd
  • Picot Productions Ltd
  • Platform 4 Group Ltd
  • Port Nelson Ltd
  • Powerbase Ltd
  • Progressive Meats
  • Radius Residential Care Ltd
  • Recon Security Ltd
  • Resene Paints Ltd
  • Rosebowl Bakery & Café Ltd
  • Sealed Air NZ Ltd
  • Silver Fern Farms
  • Solo Plastics Ltd
  • Southroads Ltd
  • SSS Contracting Ltd
  • T&G Global Ltd
  • Tasti Products Ltd
  • Te Pou Oranga O Whakaohea Ltd
  • Thompsons Horticulture
  • Toll Group Ltd
  • Tumu Timbers Packaging & Processing Ltd
  • Van Den Brink Poultry Ltd
  • Waste Management NZ Ltd
  • Whakatohea Mussels Opotiki Ltd

EWLN programmes that commenced in 2022

  • 180 Degrees
  • Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure Ltd
  • Allied Security Ltd
  • Altus Enterprises
  • Apatu Farms Ltd
  • Aqaba NZ Ltd
  • Brian Perry Civil
  • Cargill Enterprises
  • Cassidy Construction Ltd
  • CB Civil & Drainage Ltd
  • Crasborn Fresh Harvest Ltd
  • Datamars NZ Ltd
  • DKSH New Zealand Ltd
  • Farro Fresh Food Ltd
  • Fliway Transport Ltd
  • Focal Point Cinema & Café
  • Foodstuffs South Island Ltd
  • Goodman Fielder NZ
  • HEB Construction Ltd
  • Higgins
  • Hilton Foods Group Ltd
  • Hohepa Hawkes Bay
  • Intergroup
  • Kernohan Engineering Ltd
  • Korahi Alliance
  • LM Technologies Ltd
  • New Food Coatings Ltd
  • NZ Comfort Group
  • NZ Couriers Ltd
  • NZ Health Manufacturing Ltd
  • Prysmian NZ Ltd
  • RJS Licorice NZ Ltd
  • Sorted Logistics
  • South Seas Health Care Trust
  • SSS Contracting Ltd
  • T&G Global
  • Te Puna Ora O Mataatua
  • Te Runanga o Ngati Awa
  • Tumu Timbers Packaging & Processing Ltd
  • TupuToa Charitable Trust
  • Vaka Tautua
  • Watercare
  • Zealandia Horticulture Ltd

EWLN programmes that commenced in 2023

  • 180 Degrees
  • Alexander Group Holdings Ltd
  • APD Consortia
  • Attainable Trust
  • Beacon Media Group
  • Brian Perry Civil
  • C3 Ltd
  • Cardinal Group Holdings Ltd
  • Christian Health Trust
  • Crasborn Fresh Harvest Ltd
  • Danone Nutricia NZ Ltd
  • DHL Supply Chain Ltd
  • Disabled Citizens Society (Otago) Inc
  • Dulux Powder Coating
  • Dunedin Casinos Ltd
  • Farrah Breads
  • Finesse Residential
  • Fonterra Brands Ltd
  • Good Eastern Taphouse
  • Griffins Foods Ltd
  • Hohepa Hawkes Bay
  • Holcim NZ Ltd
  • Industry Civil
  • Inghams Enterprise Ltd
  • Intergoup
  • Kelston Orchards Ltd
  • King Country Pet Food
  • Little Heroes Project Charitable Trust
  • McKechnie Aluminium Solutions Ltd
  • Miraka Ltd
  • Movenpick Hotel Wellington
  • Neat Meat Ltd
  • NZ Couriers Ltd
  • Ora King Ltd
  • Radius Residential Care
  • Rice Rice Baby Ltd
  • Ritchies Transport
  • Scalzo Foods Ltd
  • Service Food Holdings Ltd
  • Sorted Logistics
  • St Vincent de Paul
  • Summerset Group Holdings
  • Superior Doors Ltd
  • Symons Transport Ltd
  • Taranaki Sawmills Ltd
  • Taylor Preston Ltd
  • Te Apanui ki-Whakatane Kohanga Reo
  • Te Pou Oranga o Whakatohea Ltd
  • Te Puna Ora o Mataatua
  • Te Runanga o Te Rarawa
  • Toroa Kohanga Reo
  • Trevelyans Pack & Cool Ltd
  • Tupu Toa
  • Ultimate Concrete
  • Utemaster NZ Ltd
  • Vital Petfoods
  • Watercare
  • Whakatane Consortium

EWLN programmes that commenced in 2024

  • Allied Security
  • Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd
  • Christian Health Trust
  • Community Living Trust
  • Formstress Precast Ltd
  • Goodman Fielder NZ
  • Griffins Foods Ltd
  • Hohepa Hawkes Bay
  • Howick Baptist Healthcare Ltd
  • Kerry Dines Ltd
  • King Country Pet Food
  • NZ Couriers Ltd
  • NZ Post Ltd
  • Oxcon CCL
  • Pasture Petfoods
  • Professional Property and Cleaning Services
  • Ritchies Transport
  • Rockgas Ltd
  • Sorted Logistics
  • Te Putahitanga o Te Waipounamu
  • The Warehouse Group
  • Thermosash Commercial Ltd
  • Van den Brink Poultry
  • Waitangi Ltd
  • Woods Glass
  • Ziwi Ltd