Polytech shuts down cookery course

Otago Daily Times

24-06-2025

The lack of a commercial kitchen is a driver in the closure of one of the courses at the Otago Polytechnic Central Campus.
Deputy executive director academic delivery Chris Williamson and deputy executive director industry training and innovation Mark Cartwright said in a joint statement three programmes — one each in Cromwell and Wānaka and one in Dunedin — were under review.
Otago Polytechnic has a campus in Cromwell town and one in Bannockburn. Late last year it was announced the brewing and stonemasonry courses run at Cromwell would be discontinued from this year.
At that meeting Otago Polytechnic executive director Megan Potiki said Otago Polytechnic was in debt and costs would have to be reduced to get it standing back on its own feet.
There was a risk it could be forced into a federation of polytechnics and that was not wanted, she said.
The Otago secondary-tertiary college certificate in cookery, which has operated out of dedicated kitchen in the town campus, will also come to an end after the facility is sold and all Central Otago programmes are consolidated at the Bannockburn campus.
The programme, which involved 16 students attending two days a week, will cease as the polytechnic has been unable to secure an alternative commercial kitchen. The closure will result in the loss of 0.61 fulltime-equivalent positions, affecting a lecturer and a technician.
Central campus director John Christie confirmed the cookery course would end, but emphasised that trades training in beauty, hospitality and carpentry would continue at the Bannockburn site.
Around 200 students from Alexandra, Wānaka and Queenstown attend these programmes at present.
If a suitable commercial kitchen could be found, closing the cookery course could be reconsidered, Mr Christie said.
The Wānaka-based level 4 New Zealand certificate in outdoor and adventure education was not financially sustainable due to low numbers of students.
It was proposed to stop the programme from the end of the year. One staff role would go immediately and the other at the end of the year, when the current students had completed their studies.
Efforts to increase enrolments had not worked and the course was financially unsustainable, the statement said.
The third course to face the chop is the Dunedin-based New Zealand certificate in plumbing, gas fitting and drain laying (level 3). The course was not viable and an announcement by the Tertiary Education Commission that it would not fund more than one year of the one-semester programme led to its demise and the loss of one fulltime position, the statement said.
Yesterday's statement said staff had been consulted about the proposed changes.
"We have met with the kaimahi [staff] concerned to explain the proposed changes for these three programmes and outlined the process for providing feedback," it said.
"We will carefully consider all the feedback we receive before making any final decisions, and will also ensure kaimahi are offered support during this consultation process."