Te Pūkenga break-up confirmed

Thursday, 7 December 2023

Staff at megapolytechnic Te Pūkenga have officially been informed of the Government’s plan to break up the organisation.

About 270,000 students attend Te Pūkenga – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology, formed three years ago to run the country’s 16 polytechs and nine ITOs (industry training organisations).

In a mass email sent to staff on Thursday, chief executive Peter Winder confirmed they had received the “letter of expectations” from new Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills, Penny Simmonds.

The letter confirmed plans to disestablish the centralised organisation, but noted this would require legislative change and more work would be required before determining the future configuration of the network.

Winder said while these next steps were developed, the organisation would need to align its work programme with the new intent.

“Details of these will be confirmed over time, however there are some immediate steps it is prudent we take.”

He confirmed to staff it would not proceed with its digital group restructure and was halting all recruitment for its new structure.

“Our immediate focus is to work through what this change in direction means for the newly established roles to which we have made appointments, and to the roles that have been disestablished.”

He acknowledged the “enormous and ongoing change” staff had been through and the “stress, uncertainty and anxiousness” further change would bring.

It has been a year of uncertainty for staff, with many impacted by a restructure in which 200 fulltime roles are set to be cut.

Most of these job losses would take place in April next year, but some were planned to be implemented this month.

Te Pūkenga has been beset with financial problems ‒ reporting an $80 million deficit last year ‒ and high profile senior resignations, with five executive members leaving less than two years into their roles.

In a statement to The Post, Winder said his immediate focus was on “supporting kaimahi and ākonga through this change in direction and working to provide certainty on what this means for them – as soon as possible”.

“It is also our commitment to ensure ākonga can enrol or continue studying, confident that any organisational change required to meet the Government’s expectations does not impact the learning, skills and qualifications they will receive.”

Former deputy chief executive Merran Davis, was pleased to hear the restructure process had been paused and was encouraged by reference to “further work”.

Davis, who left in mid-2021 over concerns about how Te Pūkenga was being run, had called for the process to be paused before the election given the uncertainty.

It had been “disingenuous” for the organisation to proceed with the restructure ‒ with Winder having said in a council report as recently as Wednesday this work was continuing.

She was hopeful the minister’s previous background in the sector, as the former chief executive of Southern Institute of Technology, would result in the reform needed.

Tertiary Education Union national secretary Sandra Grey questioned the minister’s vision for the sector and what the disestablishment process would mean.

“After years of working for struggling regional polytechnics that constantly cut courses and provision, they transferred to Te Pūkenga which for better or worse has led to enormous restructuring of the entire sector.

“Now the new Government wants to abandon the hundreds of millions of dollars of work that has been done with no plan for what comes next.

“This is a group of staff and students that is way beyond change fatigued,” she said. “Our members have been scared for their jobs for as long as they can remember.”

The minister needed to consult with the sector before going any further, Grey said.

Simmonds said she had met with the leadership, and Te Pūkenga has been asked to cease any activities that are inconsistent with disestablishment.

This included recruitment and staff restructuring activity, and other actions which would make it difficult to re-establish former ITPs as institutions.

“I have asked my officials for advice on the programme of work required to support the Government’s new agenda, including the legislative timeline.

“Key parts of that advice will include ensuring financial stability now, and in the future, and restoring regional decision making for local institutions to ensure they can better respond to the education needs of their communities.'

Te Pūkenga's management would be expected to ensure staff and students were supported through this next phase.