Funding Power savings run out as lake levels fall boost for apprentices
A $7 million boost to apprenticeship training announced by the Government yesterday recognises ‘‘the real need’’ for more trade workers, training organisations say.
The money will be added to the $14.4m announced in last year’s Budget that is being rolled out over the next four years to support more than 2000 apprenticeships.
Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Paul Goldsmith announced the additional funding at the Industry Training Federation Workforce Development Summit in Wellington.
Goldsmith said: ‘‘The Government is willing to put the resources in, but we also need the support of parents, teachers, careers advisers, and businesses if we are to get more young Kiwis into the trades.’’
Industry training Federation chief Josh Williams said the extra funding was needed because industries were ‘‘crying out for skills’’.
‘‘Today’s funding boost recognises the current and future need for more apprentices and trainees in New Zealand,’’ he said.
‘‘Skilled and qualified workers are the key to supporting prosperous communities and improving productivity.’’
The 148,000 trainees and apprentices currently in paid training were furthering their careers without racking up a student loan, he said. –Fairfax NZ A dry start to winter is proving uncomfortable for some customers of power companies that offer variable, wholesale rate-based pricing.
Flick and Paua to the People both charge their customers prices that follow the underlying wholesale rates. That has resulted in solid savings for most customers over recent years.
Flick chief executive Steve O’Connor said customers who had been with his firm for the past two years would be on average $1000 better off.
But wholesale prices are now rising and hydro lake levels in the South Island are falling, prompting concerns about a dry winter.
In early June, spot prices were about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour, on average. That is about double what they were at the same time last year.
In 2008, spot prices were over 20c per kWh for a sustained period.
O’Connor said it was likely that there would be weeks where Flick customers paid more than they would if they were with a standard retailer. ‘‘We know historically over decades there has tended to be a drier winter every five years.’’
"There has tended to be a drier winter every five years." Steve O'Connor of Flick
It should not come as a surprise, he said. Customers knew it was a possibility and the company gave them information and guidance to help them to avoid the priciest periods.
But some customers have complained.
One, Victoria King, asked: ‘‘Why is it so high lately? Almost always 39c/kWh each morning … the current rate is nearly double what our previous company’s fixed rate was. So while summer was great, these current rates just aren’t sustainable by many people.’’
Shaun Baker wrote that the perfect model was seasonal switching.
‘‘The perfect model is to use Flick over spring/summer/autumn, but if prices start spiking then leave for the cheapest, noncontract rate and rejoin again later. Genuine consumer power.’’
Electric Kiwi said it had seen evidence of customers moving to retailers models.
A spokesman said the firm was on track to win more than 200 customers from spot-price retailers in June, compared with 18 in April.
Flick’s own figures show that 28.7 per cent of its customers shifted to other retailers in May, up from 21.4 per cent in April.
O’Connor said customers were not locked in to term contracts. The level of shifting that had been recorded so far was not unreasonable, he said.
Many companies ran campaigns in May. with standard pricing prewinter