The Government is not doing enough to attract engineering and
construction students in the face of rising demand due to the
Christchurch rebuilding and a housing shortage, Otago
Polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker says.
The Government's tertiary education budget represents a
continued ''squeeze'' on the sector, with funding for most
subjects not even adjusted for inflation, both the Otago
Polytechnic and the Otago University Students' Association
say.
Otago Polytechnic is working on plans for two building
projects worth a combined total of more than $20 million,
including a new 200- to 235-room hall of residence.
The Otago Polytechnic is happy with the number of enrolments
at the institution this year, despite domestic growth
''flattening off'' compared with the previous three years.