Latest news with #TePūkenga
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Undetermined and undermined
What a mess. The years of disruption and uncertainty in the polytechnic and vocational education sector have continued unabated. Despite a flawed and inadequate funding system, Otago Polytechnic was a thriving institution, even generating surpluses, thanks in part to its Auckland campus for overseas students. In February 2019, Labour Education Minister Chris Hipkins, concerned about several polytechnics running large and persistent deficits, triggered upheaval by beginning the centralisation of the 16 polytechnics. This led to the creation of Te Pūkenga and a costly Hamilton-based bureaucracy. The plan was poor, and the execution was a shambles. By July 2022, about $200 million had been spent on reorganisation, and the projected deficit of $110m far exceeded the net deficits before the upheaval. The promises of economies of scale, reduced course duplication, greater expertise, improved consistency and less waste on marketing were alluring. In practice, however, such reforms often lead to additional layers of highly paid management, the dead hand of bureaucracy, and diminished innovation. Compromised were speedy responses, local pride, genuine local community involvement, and even a touch of healthy inter-polytechnic competition. Regional polytechnics will be better attuned to local needs than branch offices operating under Te Pūkenga. The government and Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds have since taken a ham-fisted approach to dismantling Te Pūkenga. Crucial courses have been cut, and many valued staff lost, while restructuring drags on. This week finally brought announcements that 10 polytechnics would return to regional governance. Yet what should have been a positive step for Otago has instead been met with confusion and criticism. Although Ms Simmonds insists Otago Polytechnic will have its own council governance structure with local representatives, it has been placed under a "federation model." Executive director Megan Pōtiki says she has no idea what this will actually mean. In extraordinarily strong criticism, Dr Pōtiki said she feared the federation model would dilute Otago's high learner completion rates and damage its reputation. Its independence and viability as a regional institution were at risk. Ms Simmonds said that being part of the federation — anchored by the Open Polytechnic and including the Universal College of Learning (UCOL) — would enable collaboration in areas such as online learning resources, IT, procurement, and specialist services. This, she argued, would reduce duplication and support financial sustainability. Ideally, such co-operation could occur under regional governance across all 10 "autonomous" polytechnics, not solely through Otago's imposed federation membership. As Tertiary Education Union general secretary Daniel Benson-Guiu said, no-one asked to be part of the federation. Is this simply a "race to the bottom"? Will it lead to excessive reliance on online learning? Surely it would have been helpful if Dr Pōtiki had been consulted on both the federation and the supposed "autonomy", which resembles more a halfway house for her polytechnic. As of Wednesday, she said she still had not been contacted by Ms Simmonds about the changes. How can Otago be truly autonomous while the Open Polytechnic leads and provides services to it? It is bound to be both confusing and unwieldy. Given Ms Simmonds' background as a successful head of the Southern Institute of Technology, one might have expected her to bring more of the sector onside as the system reverts towards its earlier structure. At least, Labour leader Chris Hipkins acknowledges the turbulence endured by polytechnics and their staff. He acknowledges that a return to Te Pūkenga-style centralisation would be unwise for that reason if the coalition loses power at the next election. Inadequate funding and a crude "bums-on-seats" model underpinned earlier deficits. For any system to succeed, sufficient resourcing is vital. Otago Polytechnic has a long and proud history. It must be granted genuine autonomy, adequate funding, and space to rebuild its strength, resilience and innovation.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Nightmare over as autonomy back
Former Otago Polytechnic principal Ian Hall believes the decision to split up Te Pūkenga returns full autonomy to Otago. Dry July may have limited the celebrations at the Forth St head office of Otago Polytechnic. But celebration there should certainly be, with the overdue announcement by Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds of the restoration of full autonomy to our local polytechnic. The ill-fated Te Pūkenga nightmare is finally, and almost inevitably, coming to an end that few will lament. A bright new future for our polytechnic surely lies ahead once strong local governance and clear-headed leadership is again in place. I welcome the minister's announcement. It is something of a personal journey for me as it is 40 years since I landed my dream job as the polytechnic's third principal, following the pioneering work of the earlier principals, Ian Scollay and Ted Aitcheson. On the day that I shifted into my office, the bulldozers started work on the polytechnic's new Forth St campus. What an exciting time it was as the new buildings were opened to replace the outdated facilities in the old King Edward Technical College campus. Mind you, there were frustrations, as all day-to-decisions were stifled by the overbearing control of the Department of Education. Funding was based on student hours, laboriously recorded in daily class registers, and every significant staffing and curriculum decision needed referral to the department or other central agencies. Innovation and creativity was stifled. All decisions on the new buildings had to be signed off in Wellington and every piece of equipment was centrally funded. Dramatic change came about after the 1989 Learning for Life reforms of Education Minister David Lange and his sidekick, Phil Goff. The universities feared Armageddon as the University grants committee was abolished, with its cosy arrangement of five-early funding, and the pesky upstart polytechnics were granted degree-awarding powers. In Dunedin, always a centre of educational excellence, co-operation and mutual respect become the order of the day. A joint tertiary liaison committee was established under the wise stewardship of Dame Dorothy Fraser. Robin Irvine as vice-chancellor at Otago and Lester Taylor as principal at the Dunedin Teachers College committed to a collegial way of working to the benefit of all. The first polytechnic degree, in physiotherapy, was initially a joint venture between the polytechnic and the university, though it was not long before the polytechnic established its own degrees, initially in the health sciences. Liberated from stultifying central control, the building programme at Forth St continued apace and the regional campuses in Oamaru and Cromwell expanded rapidly. New courses were created and student access was broadened through the creative use of technology. The long-standing links to mana whenua at the Ōtākou marae were strengthened and the late Tasi Lemalu did wonderful work in encouraging links with Pasifika communities. International students were recruited in increasing numbers. Like all businesses, the polytechnic subsequently went through some challenging times. In time, the inspired leadership of Phil Ker as chief executive, and the strong work of dedicated staff, saw the polytechnic recognised as a leader in diverse areas, supported by a sound financial position and high levels of student satisfaction. It is sad that so much good work has been compromised in recent times, and that so many good staff have been lost. Te Pūkenga could have been a useful adjunct if its powers had been circumscribed, but there is little to be gained now from speculating about what could have been done better. What is surely important is to focus clearly on the new opportunities that lie ahead. It is worth remembering that Otago Polytechnic is the only institution to have retained its original name throughout all of the changes of recent times. Others have chosen at various times to be known as community colleges or institutes of technology but only Otago has held fast to its founding name. It has also, I would argue, held true to the mission of vocational education, and graduates who will contribute to the economic and social development of our region and beyond. This is a time for our community to once again add its support to our local polytechnic as it capitalises on the opportunities created by the decisions now made. I have no doubt that, given local support, Otago Polytechnic can once again add to Dunedin's hard-earned reputation as a centre of educational excellence and innovation. ■ Dr Ian Hall was principal of Otago Polytechnic from 1985 to 1992. He now lives in Albert Town and was recently chairman of the board at Mount Aspiring College.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Closure of Toi Ohomai's Tokoroa campus will 'condemn another generation to poverty', mayor says
The Pūkenga Rau building where Toi Ohomai is currently in Tokoroa. Photo: South Waikato Investment Fund Trust / SUPPLIED The mayor of South Waikato says the district will be "condemned to another generation of poverty" if Toi Ohomai's Tokoroa campus closes. The polytechnic provider is to exit Te Pūkenga and re-enter regional governance from the beginning of next year, but said to meet the government's financial expectations the Tokoroa campus may have to go. Mayor Gary Petley said South Waikato already ranked among the five-most deprived communities in New Zealand. "We don't have the luxury of skipping a generation, what do we do with that?" he said. South Waikato's recent long term plan shows 23 percent of 15-24 year-olds were not currently employed or in the education or training system, one of the highest levels in the country. "There is no shortage of research and evidence that tells us a critical factor in efforts to lift people out of those statistical categories, and out of deprivation, is to invest in education," Petley said. Mayor of South Waikato Gary Petley said Tokoroa was a community in need. Photo: Libby Kirkby-McLeod / RNZ Toi Ohomai executive director Kieran Hewitson said the organisation acknowledged the deep concern surrounding the proposed closure of its Tokoroa campus. "This decision has not been made lightly. The proposal reflects a need to ensure the organisation remains financially viable and sustainable, as expected by the Government. "Declining student numbers, rising operational costs, and reduced income have made it increasingly difficult to maintain multiple campuses, including Tokoroa." Petley said if a government-funded education provider could not afford to operate in an area such as South Waikato then it needed more money, not to retreat from a community in need. "This is a short-sighted and lazy decision driven by Te Pūkenga's (the national network for all the country's 25 polytechnics) need to find $9m in savings. "They are taking the easy way out, rather than finding other ways to achieve operational savings and to become sustainable, and it's come at the detriment of the people of South Waikato." Te Hautū Kahurangi Tertiary Education Union branch co-leaders for Rotorua, Santana Ammunson and Ashton Ledger, said in a statement that not having a Tokoroa campus would be devastating for communities within the South Waikato district, undermining years of hard work to establish the South Waikato Trades Training Centre. "It would erect new barriers to learning where progress had been made under Te Pūkenga (e.g. transport, technology-enabled learning, internet connectivity), and significantly reduce locally accessible opportunities for public vocational education and training which provide strong pathways to secure employment." The news of the proposed closure came just weeks after the district lost 150 jobs when the Kinleith Pulp and Paper Mill ceased paper production. The Kinleith Pulp and Paper Mill. (File photo) Photo: Libby Kirkby-McLeod "We're just smashed again," Petley said. Ammunson and Ledger agreed the decision to close the campus would cause significant detriment to a community already reeling from the closure of the Kinleith Mill. Hewitson said Toi Ohomai recognised Tokoroa's unique challenges, including its high proportion of youth not in education, employment, or training. "However, the decision is not a reflection of the community's value or potential. Rather, it is a response to the urgent need to focus limited resources where they can have the greatest impact," she said. Hewitson said Toi Ohomai would continue to support learners in the region, but it might not be through a traditional campus setting. This was unwelcome news to the mayor who said it was only two years ago that the council, government, Trust Waikato, and the South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT) invested heavily in a building to house Toi Ohomai's Tokoroa campus. "You can understand how disappointed we were to find that out after contributing money into that space to help develop that facility that was purposely built for that, and it only just got past two years," said Petley. SWIFT owns the Pūkenga Rau building where Toi Ohomai is currently a tenant. Chief Executive Clive Somerville said the goal of the building was to be a community facility for equipping young people and older residents with valuable skills that support workforce development. "SWIFT's relationship, and our wider community's relationship, with Toi Ohomai is pivotal in delivering on our outcomes." He said as Pūkenga Rau owner and landlord, SWIFT's next steps were to work closely with the Crown, as leaseholder for Toi Ohomai, to understand its intentions for the South Waikato. Ammunson and Ledger from the Tertiary Education Union said the government had generated a lot of 'fuss' around the financial viability of institutions and pushed all of them into a rush to right-size. "The closure of regional campuses was not what we anticipated under a government that claims to be returning decision-making to the regions and shaping a regionally-responsive and sustainable vocational education and training system. It's all dollars and no sense." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Plan to scrap Taranaki polytech's agriculture courses sparks backlash
A tutor at the course said it was great to be able to give people a pathway into the agriculture and farming industries. Photo: David Hancock A proposal to cut agriculture courses at a Taranaki polytech is being described by farmers as "lunacy". It comes as the dismantling of Te Pūkenga would see 10 polytechs revert to regional governance in January. While the others - including the Western Institute of Technology , or WITT, in Taranaki - would remain within Te Pūkenga, and have to prove their financial viability by mid 2026. Part of WITT's proposal involves scrapping its agriculture courses, which tutor Adrian Edser said was worrying as Taranaki was the heart of New Zealand's dairy and farming industry. "I was gutted, I was gobsmacked, as you can imagine it's a very difficult job at times but we're just passionate about being able to give people that pathway into an industry that really looked after us." Edser said the students did a mix of theory and practical education on a working farm in Egmont Village. It helped students move from school to work, with most securing jobs in the industry, he said. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin Edser did the course himself 30 years ago before starting his farming career. "Most of the farmers that I've talked to, most of the feedback is that it's lunacy, we have to be doing agriculture here," he said. He said he would be compiling feedback on the proposal to try and fight for the course to stay. "I've spoken to a lot of farmers and their feedback has been the same that we need to do be doing what we can, I'm on a crusade to save agriculture and the students." Meanwhile, Lawrence O'Halloran from the Tertiary Education Union said there was no need for the cuts. He said especially as WITT had already reduced its deficit from a forecast $3.6 million to $2.6m. "We don't believe that there is a need to make these cuts, in particular in terms of agriculture. "Taranaki with the tagline like no other, that's how the region markets itself and rightly so, it is like no other especially in terms of agriculture, particularly dairy. "My understanding is 9.5 percent of New Zealand's dairy herd is located in Taranaki, so to have a polytech in Taranaki with no agriculture course, no teaching of agriculture, that is Taranaki like no other in a very bad way." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Spinoff
6 days ago
- Business
- The Spinoff
Te Pūkenga loses over $80m in funding, 855 staff ahead of disestablishment
The exact number of job losses at Te Pūkenga can now be revealed, as the mega vocational education institute prepares to be split into 10. Mega-institute Te Pūkenga has lost over $80m in funding and one in 10 staff as the nation's largest vocational education provider prepares to be split into 10 polytechnics from the start of 2026, documents released under the Official Information Act show. The government is currently unwinding a 2020 merger of the nation's polytechnics into one entity, moving to a system of 'regional governance' in the hopes of making the sector more financially viable. The documents, released by the Ministry of Education and Tertiary Education Commission to the Greens' vocational education spokesperson Francisco Hernandez and shared with The Spinoff, reveal that staffing numbers at Te Pūkenga dropped by 855 last year, from 10,480 in 2023 to 9,625 in 2024. This equates to about one in 10 roles being cut, including 540 staff at tertiary education institutes and 190 full-time roles (previous documents released by Te Pūkenga projected job losses to be over 150). A separate document confirmed a drop of over $80m in funding for Te Pūkenga this year, from $949,682,296.25 in 2024 to $869,307,291.80 in 2025. This follows the institute making its first ever surplus last year to the tune of $16.6m, after spending $9.5m across its entire network on 288 redundancy payouts. Hernandez said the 'lack of support and ad hoc planning' of the disestablishment of Te Pūkenga had seen the sector, its workers and learners be '[thrown] to the wolves'. 'The cuts to courses, in-person training and teaching staff necessary for the government's new model to add up are undermining vocational education for all learners,' Hernandez said. On Monday, vocational education minister Penny Simmonds confirmed the next steps of the disestablishment of Te Pūkenga would be to break the institute into 10, including a 'federation' which will see The Open Polytechnic absorb Otago Polytechnic and the Universal College of Learning (UCOL) from January 1, 2026. The federation will share online resources, an academic board and other supports to smaller polytechnics which do not have the capacity or financial ability to provide services, at a cost. The 10 polytechnics also include Ara Institute of Canterbury, Eastern Institute of Technology, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, Southern Institute of Technology, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Waikato Institute of Technology, and a single entity combining Unitec Institute of Technology with Manukau Institute of Technology. Meanwhile, North Tech, Taranaki's Western Institute of Technology, Tai Poutini Polytechnic, and Whitireia Community Polytechnic and Wellington Institute of Technology remain within Te Pūkenga. Simmonds said a decision on whether these institutes will be closed or merged would be decided in the first half of 2026, though they would 'most likely need federation support'. The Tertiary Education Union has expressed concern that courses being dropped during the disestablishment process are those that can't accommodate large class sizes, such as agriculture. But Simmonds said that $20m per annum had been set aside for the next two years to support certain regions such as Northland and the East Coast, which had a high need for courses that can't be financially viable through student numbers. About $100m worth of Te Pūkenga assets have been identified for sale, with the funding to be returned to Te Pūkenga, she said. Simmonds, a former chief executive of the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT), told The Spinoff she understood the number of jobs lost to be in the 'several hundreds', and it had been a 'really tough time' for those affected, but they were a part of the 'financial pathway to viability'. She said Otago Polytechnic, whose executive director Megan Pōtiki told RNZ it was 'deeply disappointed' to be included in the federation, has 'a little bit of work to do to get to a surplus' and could be removed from the federation if they met this expectation. Tertiary Education Union national secretary Sandra Gray told The Spinoff about 10% of the vocational education workforce had disappeared, and she expected another 400 roles were in scope to change. A 'huge amount' of burnout had been felt by those who had stayed, she said, and all staff were currently at the maximum of their timetable teaching hours while they picked up the duties of leaving staff. 'We have staff working at the top end of the workloads, having to work evenings and weekends just to stand still,' she said. 'When you're overworked, you can't put time into each student, you can't work in the way you want.' Gray said the federation system would be a 'one-size fits all model of blended learning' which she doubted would achieve its purpose. She saw 'no sense' in any polytechnic wanting to be a part of the federation as it would come at the loss of staff and other resources, while paying to access 'someone else's products'. Even if the four institutes that remained with Te Pūkenga were folded into the federation, Gray doubted the system would be economically viable. Contrary to the minister's position that the un-merging of Te Pūkenga would restore decision-making powers back to the regions, many polytechnics had been 'left in the cold', Gray said. 'They're the ones who are with their students every day, and yet someone in Wellington who once ran a polytechnic is the only one making decisions for everybody without proper consultation … there's no local autonomy at all.'
