Te Pūkenga, New Zealand’s major educational body that oversees 16 polytechnics and nine Industry Training Organisations (ITOs), will cut 200 full-time roles due to a restructure. The institution was established three years ago and currently caters to 270,000 students with a staff of 9,000. It has recently faced financial issues and several senior resignations.
In June, plans were shared to cut 404 jobs for a more efficient structure. After receiving over 8,000 submissions about the restructure, Chief Executive Peter Winder announced the final plan, which will remove 200 full-time roles. He believes most of the affected staff will find new roles within the organisation.
Though 400 roles will be eliminated, 602 new roles are to be introduced. Another 51 already vacant positions will be removed, and 350 temporary contracts will not be renewed.
Winder encouraged those whose roles are ending to apply for the new jobs to maintain expertise and limit redundancies. He stated the changes aim to help students gain skills and qualifications efficiently and with less debt.
Most job cuts will affect the region including Taranaki, Wellington, and Marlborough, with 164 proposed role reductions. Other regions will also experience job cuts.
Te Pūkenga plans a phased transition to the new structure in the coming months. Affected staff were informed in individual meetings earlier this week. Last month, the institution reported an $80 million deficit for the previous year, highlighting its financial struggles.
