Six teaching positions are likely to disappear at Otago Polytechnic after an unexpected decline in student numbers.
Thirty-two staff, 25 in the applied business department and seven in the automotive studies department, were told in separate meetings yesterday their jobs were being reviewed and there were likely to be redundancies, polytechnic chief executive Phil Ker said.
Enrolments this year were below target by about 60 full-time equivalent students in the business department and about 25-30 in automotive studies.
The polytechnic worked on a formula of one teacher to about 15 students, so staff had been told four positions would be lost in the business department and two in automotive studies.
The mood at the meetings was "sombre", he said.
"We have been talking to staff about the enrolment declines for some time, so I would be surprised if they were surprised at the announcements.
''But that doesn't make it any more pleasant.
''These sort of meetings are the worst part of my job."
The review would take at least one month, Mr Ker said.
Staff and union representatives had been encouraged to make submissions on how the reductions might be achieved.
That might involve some people reducing their hours rather than losing their positions entirely.
"In this consultation process, we are always open to whatever creative solutions people can come up with."
Asked why enrolments had declined so rapidly in the business department, Mr Ker said it appeared more people were entering the workforce from school or staying in the workforce rather than undertaking business studies.
"I was able to reassure staff the review was no criticism of the quality of their programmes . . .
The irony is the business community is saying it is crying out for trained people, but in these times of high employment, it seems demand for training has shifted to the workplace."
Enrolments were also slightly below target in the arts and hospitality departments.