The polytechnic sector is facing major cuts

Waatea Team Hemi Houkamau

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New Zealand’s polytechnic sector is facing major cuts, with about 300 jobs at risk and many courses being dropped. The Tertiary Education Union says this is the worst it’s ever seen, with staff and students deeply affected. As the government prepares to disestablish mega-polytechnic Te Pūkenga and revert to regional governance for Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs), substantial funding cuts and restructuring are now significantly impacting course offerings, campuses, and jobs across the sector. The government is phasing out Te Pūkenga and separating it into individual regional polytechnics-some autonomous and well-resourced, others to be federated under the Open Polytechnic umbrella from January 2026. 

Key funding changes include:

• Restoration of student-based subsidies for campus and online courses, reversing previous reductions.

• Reduced funding for workplace apprenticeship programmes, shifting emphasis to provider-based training

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