Otago Polytechnic regional manager Jean Tilleyshort, Centre
for Sustainable Practice adviser Sharon Schindler,
Queenstown business owner Erna Spikjerbosch and Queenstown
Lakes district councillor Mel Gazzard, at the opening of
the new Queenstown campus, last week. Photo supplied.
An increase in student numbers has prompted Otago
Polytechnic to expand into a new campus in Queenstown.
The polytechnic is now in larger premises on Camp St which
were opened last week.
Regional manager Jean Tilleyshort said the move reflected
increased numbers in computing and business administration
programmes and midwifery, plus the great interest and numbers
in sustainable practice programmes, as well as strong numbers
in art classes.
Sustainable practice in particular had "really taken off" in
Queenstown, with about 40 businesses going through
programmes, she said.
"Next year, we'll have students doing the graduate diploma in
sustainable practice, graduates from Queenstown Resort
College completing their bachelor of applied management
[degree], and we'll be launching the Xcellerate programme
with the Chamber of Commerce.
"The Xcellerate programme will be run by the Otago chamber,
in association with the Queenstown chamber, and will include
a diploma in business management and a diploma in human
resources Management."
Queenstown Resort College chief executive Charlie Phillips
said the expansion would help the StudyQueenstown.com
objective of making the town a serious study destination.
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