With the new academic year about to begin, NorthTec is heralding a significant increase in enrolments.

“Some courses are already full and we are encouraging prospective students to contact our enquiries and enrolment team soon to secure their place on the programme of their choice,” said NorthTec’s Director-Student Success, Lynda Mathey.

The increase in student numbers at NorthTec follows an increase in enrolments last year in many tertiary institutions.

TEU national president Tom Ryan noted that there were two important implications from a second year of growing roll pressure.

“The first thing is that this was predictable. We know from demographic data that there are more 18 and 19 year olds looking for an education than there were a few years ago.”  We need to provide those young people with opportunities, and that means more funding. The alternative is leaving them without skills or education – which in the long term is even more costly, both economically and socially,” said Dr Ryan.

“The second implication is that staff at places like NorthTec are working hard to deal with extra students, and in so doing are increasing their institution’s productivity. But all too often they are not being recognised for that hard work. Instead, their employers seem intent on freezing their pay levels and cutting back on their working conditions.”