NorthTec has campuses in Whangārei, Auckland, Kaitāia, Kerikeri and Ngāwhā, near Kaikohe (pictured). Photo: Peter de Graaf
Northland MP Grant McCallum says the government has "no intention whatsoever" of closing down the region's polytechnic - despite being listed among institutes facing potential closure or merger as part of the break-up of mega-polytech Te Pūkenga.
Revelations last week about NorthTec's uncertain future, as well as a fresh round of course and staff cuts, sparked concerns among tutors, students and industry.
The news also drew more than 100 people to a public meeting at the main campus in Whangārei, but McCallum told RNZ closure of NorthTec was not on the cards.
"Northland needs vocational training and NorthTec's got an important part to play in that, but it's got to be able to stand up on its own two feet and be credible," he said. "That's our goal.
"It's just taking a bit longer, because it's got a chequered past and we've got to work through all that."
McCallum said the exact form NorthTec would take was not yet clear, but it would still include satellite campuses in places such as Kaitāia and Kaikohe, which were essential for the widely dispersed Northland region.
Northland MP Grant McCallum says he will fight to keep NorthTec open. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf
He said Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds understood the importance of regional training facilities such as NorthTec, because of her long association with the Southern Institute of Technology.
NorthTec would not say how many courses and jobs were included in the restructuring proposal, saying the final numbers had yet to be determined.
However, according to the Tertiary Education Union, courses facing the chop included forestry, primary industries, pest control and apiculture (beekeeping).
McCallum said that was an operational decision for NorthTec management.
"As a local MP, what I would be expecting is sectors like the primary sector, which is one of our biggest in Northland, will have courses available. We just have to make sure they're the right ones."
At the public hui, it was claimed the forestry industry had been blindsided by the proposal to drop forestry courses.
McCallum said the government was conscious of those claims and NorthTec would be in touch with the affected sectors.
While the final decision was the minister's, McCallum said he would fight to keep NorthTec open.
"What it looks like going forward and the courses it offers, that has yet to be determined, because it has to be a sustainable, credible organisation."
NorthTec operations lead Derek Slatter said the organisation was currently consulting staff over proposed changes to teaching and support roles.
"The number of positions impacted will be dependent on the final decisions made following the full consultation process," he said. "The proposed changes are designed to address issues of financial sustainability and to forge a pathway towards financial viability for NorthTec, enabling us to continue delivering high-quality education and training."
Slatter acknowledged staff had been through a prolonged period of change and uncertainty, and that would continue, as NorthTec became financially viable.
"However, I am confident that viability is within our reach," he said.
Slatter said enrolments for semester two were higher than this time last year and applications for 2026 were also up.
Earlier, Minister Penny Simmonds said the government's aim was to build a vocational education system that was "locally led, regionally responsive and financially sustainable, including for Northland".
Ten of the institutes merged by the previous government into Te Pūkenga would be returned to standalone, regionally-governed polytechnics.
The future of polytechnics in four regions - Northland, Taranaki, Wellington and the West Coast - would be decided in the first half of 2026.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
