Job Losses and Future Program Reductions in Wellington, Whitireia and WelTec Institutions of Higher Education

The job losses and program cuts proposed are at the heart of a plan to preserve the future of two polytechnics in Wellington.

General Manager Chris Gosling on Friday informed Whitireia and WelTec staff of a proposal to remove "about" 27 programs and reduce the number of teachers by about 70 equivalent time positions. full.

"These are teaching roles as opposed to a permanent teaching staff … some are paid by casuals or entrepreneurs and others are vacant positions."

Things also understands that the institution plans to transfer information technology to the "creative" downtown campus and that there will be cuts in the direction.

READ MORE:

* Students protest against proposed staff reductions in Whitireia
* Poor financial health sees Govt accumulate money for Whitireia and Unitec
* Can the radical plan to repair the New Zealand polytechnics work?

It comes after an "indicative portfolio" for 2020 was distributed to employees earlier this year, which was missing from the 27 existing programs, which it was proved that they now had the weight.

The program cuts affect almost all disciplines of both organizations, but Gosling said demand remained strong in the construction, computer, nursing and social work sectors.

Confirmed chop programs include funeral care and embalming as well as early childhood education.

Those who were not fired, but downgraded, were a three-year music degree, which would be replaced by a two-year degree, and changes to veterinary nursing offers.

"It's not as if we had taken the knife to a particular area per se … we looked in detail at each program to determine what might or might not work."

Students currently enrolled in the discontinued programs would be able to graduate, but these programs would not accept new registrations, Gosling said.

In total, Whitireia and WelTec employ about 800 people, about half of whom are academics.

Daniel Benson-Guiu, organizer of the Tertiary Education Union (TU), said the proposal left union members "frustrated and angry" but also ready to plead their case.

"It's time to rally and question why they arrived at the numbers."

The cuts in the areas of addiction, counseling and youth service training are also a concern for members, said Benson-Guiu.

In August of last year, the government announced that it would pay $ 15 million to the Porirua-based postgraduate teacher because of the "cash flow problems" of the university. 39; institution.

When contacted by Things, a spokesman for Education Minister Chris Hipkins said he was aware of the latest cuts proposed but that it was an "operational issue" "rather than political at this stage.

For Gosling, decisions were made primarily in response to declining enrollment and revenues.

Over the last seven years, the number of New Zealand students enrolled full-time in both organizations has declined by about 1,500 people, he said.

"Based on revenues, we now receive less than $ 20 million in revenue compared to 2012."

"We need to ensure that we have a solid polytech offer in the Wellington area … We can only be certain if we can be certain that we can make it work from a point of view financial."

Gosling said that the effects of the decrease in the number of national students "have been masked for a while" because of the high number of international students.

However, as their numbers also began to decline in recent years, the camouflage of the organizations' financial situation had come to an end.

Whitireia and WelTec employees had one month to comment on the proposals. Gosling was planning a final decision in September or early October.