Telford Rural Polytechnic's ability to attract 16 and 17-year-old students was a great asset, Tertiary Education Minister Pete Hodgson said after a visit to the facility yesterday.
He also believed it fitted well with the Government's School Plus scheme, which pledges to keep young people in some form of education until they turn 18.
‘‘I think Telford needs to think very carefully about how Schools Plus can work for them, because it has Telford written all over it.''
But if Telford wanted any answers over the threat of more funding cuts, some assurances for 2009 and beyond, then they were not forthcoming.
Telford faces an uncertain future because of a review of all land-based tertiary education funding.
Late last year, it lost 20% of its Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) funding and claims the next few months could determine its long-term future.
Mr Hodgson said funding was obviously discussed at the meeting with Telford council chairman Dave Yardley and Telford chief executive Jonathan Walmisley, but he was also there because he had set himself the target of visiting all universities and polytechnics during the first few months of his ministerial role, which took effect late last year.
In an interview after his visit, Mr Hodgson admitted Telford had some issues, ‘‘being a specialist provider in a sea of regional providers'', but he could give no assurances at this stage.
The forthcoming review would answer those questions and Telford, like all other polytechnics, would then have to respond.
‘‘I'm not going to go there,'' he said, when asked if he had any views on how Telford would fare.
The TEC review is now expected to be presented in mid-September.
