Staff at the Southern Institute of Technology’s Christchurch campus have been told of a proposal to cut jobs.

A student at the Waterloo Road campus in Hornby said his tutor told him the “campus could close by Christmas.”

On its website, Southern Institute of Technology said its “small friendly campus offers specialised training in accredited and industry-recognised programmes.”

When asked if the campus would close, a Southern Institute of Technology spokesperson told chrislynchmedia.com it had “commenced a formal consultation process regarding proposed changes to its operations in the Canterbury region.”

“This proposal is part of SIT’s ongoing commitment to align with the Government’s vision for a regionally focused tertiary education model.

“SIT is committed to supporting all affected staff and students throughout this process. The consultation period will run until 5pm on 7 November 2024, during which time feedback from staff and stakeholders will be carefully considered before any final decisions are made.”

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The spokesperson added, “We are committed to handling this process with the utmost respect for the privacy and well-being of our team. Because of this, we cannot provide further details while the consultation is underway.”

In a statement, Penny Simmonds, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills, said, “As the Minister, I am not privy to information regarding the operational decisions that SIT, or any other polytechnic, might contemplate.

“However, I would suggest that it is important for SIT, as it is for all polytechnics, to be taking appropriate actions to ensure their overall viability,” Simmonds said.

“As you know, the Government has requested that the Tertiary Education Commission work with Te Pūkenga to assist all polytechnics in reviewing their operations—an exercise that should have happened four years ago when Te Pūkenga was set up—to ensure the viability of the Polytechnic sector.

“The situation for trades training in Christchurch in 2024 is very different to when SIT set up in Christchurch in 1997, and SIT will likely be making decisions that reflect those changes,” Simmonds said.

When chrislynchmedia.com pressed Southern Institute of Technology about whether the Waterloo Road campus would close down altogether, the spokesperson said, “there is nothing further to report at this stage, as we are wishing to allow staff the opportunity to review and make submissions.”