New Zealand's Polytechs in danger of complete Failure?

[peteb2]

Horrible news that the future for being able to studying electronics or IT etc in this country could be well off the career path. The killer? Under-funding, lack of resources, demographic change and ideological tinkering...

Of course i mention the Electronics & IT because that's my area but there are other Courses being affected where-in the future Technicians of tomorrow may simply not exist because of the current state of things.

How it's going to be fixed...?? no idea. Industry every year, even in tiny wee low-population NZ is desperate for freshly trained electricians, electronics techs, and IT qualified individuals. 

Have a read if you're faintly interested and be warned the same kind of terrible Management could be happening in your neck of the woods....

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/105177132/can-polytechs-survive-increasing-losses-of-money-students-and-staff

[Marco]

Demographic change outpacing the consolidation of the schools?

[EEVblog]

I think there have been similar funding issues here with the TAFE system in recent times, although I haven't been following it.

Where are the students going instead?

[tautech]

Not much new in this Pete except the article's figures only go back a couple of years. 
Go back 2 decades and the true picture would be a lot clearer.

Funding is an issue sure but wise and skilled management/governance is just as bigger issue.

[sleemanj]

I think the article is a bit of cherry picking for poor performers.

If you look at SIT, Otago, Ara (ex Christchurch Polytech), these are doing ok and have consistent operating surpluses.

[peteb2]

This kind of story probably doesn't help the owners of large firms and medium sized businesses that specialise in the electronics/electrical area in this country. They tend to project well ahead factoring in having some young fresh new qualified keen as mustard graduate/diploma busting to be involved as the firm cranks up that next new product...

Learning there might not be anyone coming along to their next classified advert they run will be a problem.

My career has been mainly within Broadcasting and back in my day there was a main Campus in NZ known the CIT (Central Institute of Technology) placed not far out of Wellington which was modeled on typical Uni even down to having a Halls of Residence so doing a 'bunch of weeks' block course while employed was a no-brainer... you lived and studied there & i found the block course to be excellent because my employer of the day sent me there... 

The last i heard of the place was it had suffered at the hands of funding and weird management to the point the site simply closed in 2001ish and sat bare. They said it was because it had a lack of students.... 

Such a waste....

[tautech]

To some degree the TI's and Uni's have bought this on themselves.....too much looking over the fence to see what their opposition is doing and then duplicating courses in what's already a small market.
So let's say 3 tertiary institutions in the same city offer courses for a similar qualification and that could be 100 seats in total for maybe 5 nationwide positions annually. Yes this happens, so no wonder there's falling roll #'s and students only discover the real marketplace position for their future employment possibilities.

Managers, boards and general governance salaries and bonuses are based on growing the institution NOT the success of their students so the status of those on top is what's valued rather than the quality of staff and their results.

The same scenario is playing out in our schools where principals remuneration is roll based ! 
Loosely interpreted as get bums on seats at any cost ! 

Only wise and 'engaged' boards can keep this under control.