Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre, which is based near Masterton and has campuses throughout New Zealand, including one in Southland, yesterday confirmed it had been involved in a "high-level conversation" with Telford.
On Wednesday, Lincoln University announced a plan to cut more than 50 jobs, including 17 at its Telford division near Balclutha.
Taratahi Agriculture Training Centre chief executive Arthur Graves said the institutions were linked by the agricultural sector.
"We talked about the shared importance of what we both do in preparing work-ready people for the agricultural sector."
"A lot" needed to be done if further decisions were to be made, Mr Graves said.
Telford Farm board of management chairman Murray Pilgrim said the board was meeting an education provider next Friday but did not confirm which. The board hoped to have something in place reasonably soon as Lincoln had given it a "four-week window" for negotiations.
"We just want somebody that’s in there for the long haul and is going to provide satisfactory agricultural-based training for New Zealand."
"Until we all sit down around the table it’s a bit of an unknown, really," he said.
Most people were shocked by the proposal to axe so many staff from Telford and originally imagined the number would be about four or five.
Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan said he had been liaising with the Telford Farm board of management. He was encouraging the board to "fight" and said the next few weeks were critical for Telford’s future.
Lincoln had an obligation to honour the "good faith" Telford had entrusted it with when they merged five years ago.
He wanted to know what had become of the $10million given to the university during the merger.
"The money was given to them in good faith."
Mr Cadogan said the money was a critical factor in how other education providers might proceed forward with Telford.
Lincoln-Telford Division interim director Joan Grace confirmed Telford Rural Polytechnic had about $10 million in cash in December 2009 before the merger. She said the respective finances were combined as was the case with most mergers.
Ms Grace said there was no requirement to "ring-fence" or guarantee the funds would be used for any specific matter. The funds were reinvested back into agricultural education at the Telford and Te Waihora campuses.
She did not respond to further questions about whether any of the cash still existed or if any of it could be returned to Telford.
However, Mr Cadogan disputed the claim the money was not "ring-fenced" and said it was intended to be for ongoing maintenance at the Telford site.
The announcement to axe jobs comes following a repayment of $1.5 million from Lincoln to the Tertiary Education Commission after an investigation found the Telford division made a series of funding reporting blunders, including one which led to a student gaining a qualification for a course which they never attended.
Lincoln vice-chancellor Prof Robin Pollard said the reason for the job cuts was prompted by low student enrolment and a low demand for the courses.
He encouraged staff to enter into discussions about Telford’s future. The decision to axe jobs could be changed based on submissions received on the proposal.
The proposal was to improve Lincoln University’s "fitness" and explore potential partnerships with other organisations as it had run up $7 million in deficits over the past five years.
Submissions close on December 12 and a final decision was anticipated on December 16.
- By Samuel White and Margot Taylor
