Polytech confident on numbers

Alex Cabrera
Alex Cabrera
Aoraki Polytechnic is confident it can hit this year's target rate for students enrolled to study at its Oamaru campus, as it aims to bounce back from a $2 million loss last year.

The Timaru-based institution, which also has campuses in Dunedin, Ashburton and Christchurch, failed to meet enrolment targets by more than 400 equivalent full-time students (efts) for 2013, which resulted in a forecast loss of about $2.3 million, but acting chief executive Alex Cabrera yesterday said numbers enrolled for Oamaru-based courses in 2014 were looking good.

Mr Cabrera said enrolments for 14 efts had so far been confirmed at the Oamaru campus, and he expected that numbers would rise to 32 efts by the end of the year. That would be ''consistent with planned delivery''.

''Enrolment numbers to date at the Oamaru campus are consistent with our projections. It is still too early to confirm what our enrolment numbers will be for the year because some programmes have not started yet and we have start dates throughout the year.

''As an example, inquiries for the certificate in life and employment skills programme delivered at the Oamaru campus indicates strong interest in this programme this year. We are also working with other organisations locally such as Literacy North Otago, the Salvation Army and the Ministry for Social Development to better meet the needs of students, business and the community.''

The number of students registered to use the free bus service between Oamaru and the Timaru campus had also increased, with 62 people already registered for this year, Mr Cabrera said.

Earlier this month, Aoraki Polytechnic announced a new organisational structure that would reduce the number of staff employed across the organisation from 40.6 eft employees to 34.7.

- andrew.ashton@odt.co.nz

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