Public consultation opens on proposed merger of two Canterbury Polytechnics

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce has today opened public consultation on the proposed merger of Aoraki Polytechnic and the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT).

In a joint proposal, the Chairs of both institutes propose creating a new tertiary organisation which would operate with a new name. This would be created by establishing a new organisation based on the legal entity of CPIT, and integrating Aoraki Polytechnic into it. The new organisation would be made up of members from both existing Councils.

Earlier this year the two institutes set out to investigate how they could collaborate more effectively to provide the best results for Canterbury learners, meet the needs of businesses in the wider Canterbury region, and operate sustainably into the future. The proposal is the result of their work.

“Both polytechnics have already spoken with their staff and engaged with local, regional and national stakeholders about their proposal. I’m now keen to hear from anyone who’s interested in tertiary education across Canterbury or further afield. I want to ensure this proposal would meet the needs of learners, business, the wider Canterbury region, and support the on-going delivery of a high-performing tertiary education system,” says Mr Joyce.

The two councils say that a merged entity would provide a wider range of programmes and improved access to vocational education for learners in the Canterbury region. They say a joint entity would be better focused on the needs of the region and improve academic quality through pooling expert resources, and it would also create financial stability.

Mr Joyce is conducting a public consultation before making any decisions on the proposals.

Members of the public and interested parties are encouraged to take part in the consultation. The consultation will close on 14^th September.

The online consultation can be found here.