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Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds has called for consultation on her replacement for Te Pūkenga.
The former Southland Polytechnic chief executive says Labour’s attempt to bring the country’s polytechnics and skills training organisations under a single body has been a disaster that wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars.
She’s giving people six weeks to consult on the new structure which includes a network of stand-alone and federated institutes of technology and polytechnics across the regions;
– options for an industry-led system for standards-setting and industry training.
– and changes to vocational education funding from 2026.
Ms Simmonds says New Zealand needs a strong vocational education and training system with genuine regional control.
She wants to restore polytechnics to what she says is their rightful place as anchors of learning opportunities for individuals, and as a regional development tool for communities and industries.
Industry training must be driven by, and for, industry.
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