The Government’s changes to training in our regions will see jobs lost and fewer training opportunities.

“The whole point of Te Pukenga was to make the polytechnic sector more financially viable and ensure more training opportunities and employment in our regions,” Labour tertiary education spokesperson Shanan Halbert said.

“The changes announced today will only return the polytechnic sector to a model that was never financially viable – and the result will be major job losses in local areas.

“Toi Ohomai’s Tokoroa campus could close, which is huge for a town that has also just lost its mill. WIT had proposed more job cuts as of Friday to business and hospitality. NorthTec, EIT and Ucol have been forced to propose further cuts as a result of the Government’s proposals already.

“This Government could have simply addressed some of the issues Te Pukenga had, without disestablishing it, and avoided all the expense and uncertainly this has had on staff and students.

“The Minister is refusing to say how much this will cost and is ignoring advice on the risks of her proposal to the financial viability of polytechnics. Penny Simmonds couldn’t even guarantee when asked this afternoon if they would all still be operational in two years’ time.

“This is a sector that supports training for the kinds of jobs our regions need to fill skill gaps and boost local businesses and the economy. This Government is taking our regions backwards,” Shanan Halbert said.