Vocational education, which includes trade training courses at polytechs, is likely to get a boost in funding according to Education Minister Chris Hipkins.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave her economic address in front of the business community today, saying that things need to change in the education sector, especially in vocational education.
“How is it, for example, that at a time when we’re facing critical skill shortages, our polytechnics and institutes of technology are in many cases going broke? That is not the sign of a healthy and sustainable sector,” says Ardern.
Vocational education includes courses that prepare people to work in various jobs, such as trade, carpentry or as technicians.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa offers aligned programs which could lead to them benefiting from a boast in the sector.
“There are real opportunities for [Te Wānanga o Aotearoa] but we're not going to dictate that to them, we want to sit down and work through the implications of that with them.”