Industry training organisations say students will suffer under polytech merger
While the union for polytechnic staff is backing the government’s plan to merge polytechnics and institutes of technology, industry training organisations say students and apprentices will suffer.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins today announced proposals that included creating a “New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology” as early as the start of next year, and removing responsibility for work-based training from the 11 industry training organisations.
The president of the Tertiary Education Union, Michael Gilchrist, said it supported the government’s plan because its members wanted more cooperation between institutions and less competition.
“We have been asking for a nationally-coordinated system. The current model of competing autonomous institutions who are competing for funding, and that of course translates into competing for students and competing for high-value courses where they can make profits, that system isn’t working,” he said.
Mr Gilchrist said the union was worried about job cuts but hoped they would be off-set by increasing enrolments.
“Certainly we are concerned about our members’ jobs but looking at the big picture, the context of this proposal is positive,” Mr Gilchrist said.
