No Christmas cheer for Te Pūkenga staff.

Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union notes the end of the political year has arrived with no end in sight for the uncertainty faced by Te Pūkenga staff, who have been scared for their jobs for as long as they can remember.

The Minister of Tertiary Education and Skills, Penny Simmonds, has belatedly announced, at the last possible minute before Christmas, that the Government still plans to proceed with their plan to disestablish Te Pūkenga but no key decisions have been made.

Te Pou Ahurei | National Secretary Sandra Grey says “this remains a complete mess. The Minister has announced that there is nothing to announce. Meanwhile, the staff of Te Pūkenga are left paying the price for her inability to get anything done, with continued job insecurity and no idea if they will be working for a standalone polytechnic or a ‘federation’ in 2025.”

“With Te Pūkenga now only a few million dollars away from surplus, the government should simply cut their losses and let those working in vocational education get on with the job of educating Aotearoa’s rangatahi and second chance learners, rather than remaining caught up in endless uncertainty and change.”

TEU Branch President at Te Whare Takiura o Manukau | Manukau Institute of Technology, Steve McCabe, says “The minister is incapable of progressing a concrete plan for Te Pūkenga and, given that, she has no business being in charge of vocational education in Aotearoa.”

“Well over a year after being elected on, in part, a promise to disestablish Te Pūkenga, this government has still to decide some kind of plan for the polytechnic sector. This government clearly doesn’t see vocational education as any kind of priority.”

“We’re going into another summer break with no idea what the future of vocational education looks like, or whether we’ll even have jobs next year. That’s this government’s gift to us. Merry Christmas, everybody.”

Earlier this week, TEU wrote to the Prime Minister to express frustration with the Minister’s lack of progress. The letter can be read here.