Papers released under the Official Information Act showed staff figures at Te Pūkenga dropped from 10,480 in 2023 to 9625 in 2024, a cut of about 8%.
While the data did not break down into individual units, the information comes as Otago Polytechnic looks to slim down, announcing changes to the Capable NZ programme last week, and cutting nine courses before last Christmas.
Te Pūkenga was formed in 2020 by bringing together the country’s 16 institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs).
Green MP Francisco Hernandez said the staff cuts had been demoralising.
"The damage of the government’s destructive reforms to Te Pūkenga and their underfunding of our tertiary sector are being felt right across the country, with nearly one in 10 jobs being lost at Te Pūkenga.
"These cuts will not just hurt staff and students but also the regional communities that depend on Te Pūkenga to deliver skills, jobs and training to our regions."
He said communities were already feeling the impacts. Recent reports of cuts to Capable NZ were on top of cuts already made to courses such as the horticulture, health and English language programmes.
"Instead of forcing critical polytechs to cut staff and programmes to stay afloat under the government’s new model, the government needs to recognise the valuable work that polytechs and universities do and give them the resourcing and support they need to succeed."
The government introduced legislation breaking up Te Pūkenga last month, but it is not yet known which polytechnics would stand alone and which would be absorbed into the federation model.
Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds said the government asked the Tertiary Education Commission to work with Te Pūkenga to support polytechnics in reviewing their operations — an exercise that "really should have taken place when Te Pūkenga was established", she said.
"While the operational decisions are made by the institutions themselves, I believe it’s appropriate that each polytechnic is taking the steps needed to ensure their long-term viability.
"These decisions are never easy, but they are necessary to build a more stable and sustainable vocational education system."
Asked about the potential loss of institutional memory at the polytechnics, Ms Simmonds conceded it could be an issue.
"We need to ensure that as we transition into a new system, we retain the best of what our institutions and people have built over time.
"That’s why we are taking a measured approach to reform — ensuring there is continuity, while also creating a system that is better aligned with the needs of learners, employers, and regional economies."
Tertiary Education Union assistant general secretary Daniel Benson-Guiu said the "real concern" was that nothing had been formally established to replace Te Pūkenga.
Several "strategic" courses had already faced cuts, he said.
"We would like to see a vocational education system that can cater for all of the communities.
"With these cuts, the government is setting itself up to fail."
Ms Simmonds said the reforms to the system would make it more efficient.
"It will be up to each polytechnic to manage its workforce in a way that reflects its financial situation, enrolment patterns, and local training needs.
"Under the new system, I expect institutions to be more accountable and better equipped to make prudent, forward-looking staffing and operational choices."
