Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins made the announcement at Heretaunga College in Wellington's Upper Hutt today.
Ardern said the Government wanted to reverse what she called the "long-term decline" in trades training.
Trades skills shortages was a key issue business regularly raise with me and this programme is one step in the Government's plan to plug that gap.
According to the Prime Minister, today's announcement marks the first increase in the numbers of Gateway places since the last time Labour was in government.
The Gateway programme lets secondary school students undertake work-based learning towards vocational careers at school, while the Trades Academies programme is for high school students who want to take on full-time tertiary and/or work based learning.
Ardern said both the programmes had been successful, but had lacked funding for years.
Hipkins said schools were, and will continue to be, a crucial part of vocational education.
"We want schools better linked to the world of work, and for students in school to have clearer and more direct pathways into vocational education in the workplace and the tertiary system."
An evaluation of Gateway in the early 2000s showed that more than 70 per cent of employers reported several benefits from their involvement with Gateway and 81 per cent of students reported that their involvement with Gateway helped with their future plans.