Topical FAQs

We’ve started a body of work to reset Capable NZ.

Q: Why? 

Our Capable NZ enrolments have been declining with a 51.6% decrease over the last four years. So, it’s time for us to find a more sustainable way for Capable NZ to operate.

Currently, our Capable NZ team don’t sit within a structure consistent with that of other OP colleges/schools. This has led to a lack of consistency around strategy, operations, processes and support functions.

Q: What’s the plan?

1. We will continue to offer all Capable NZ programmes.
   
   
2. We will retain the Capable NZ brand as this is well-known and well-respected. Our intent is to strengthen and grow the brand rather than diminish or remove it.
   
   
3. We are proposing to move each Capable NZ programme into the relevant corresponding OP college (i.e. we propose that the Capable NZ Bachelor of Engineering Technology moves within the School of Engineering in the College of Engineering, Construction and Living Sciences).
    
   a) This will ensure each Capable NZ programme is attached to an existing area and leadership structure. It will also ensure each programme has sufficient administrative support. 
   
   b) Other ITPs currently do not have a standalone work-based learning unit, it’s integrated into their mainstream offerings. We have successfully done this with our Bachelor of Culinary Arts programme which is offered through the Food Design Institute as a standard, three-year degree, as well as through an Assessment of Prior Learning (APL) model and a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) model. 
   
   
4. We are also proposing to establish a School of Professional Practice to support the current community of practice within the Capable NZ team (this will support the research activities and outputs produced by that team). This School would sit within Te Maru Pumanawa I College of Creative Practice and Enterprise. This is the School from which we would offer and teach our Professional Practice programmes (graduate diploma, master, and doctorate).

Q: What else potentially needs to happen?

Unfortunately, our current enrolments don’t support the FTE we have in the Capable NZ team. To ensure we are operating sustainably, we are proposing to downsize by 19.8FTE (this includes a currently vacant Head of College position and vacant Head of Programme leadership positions).

Q: How are the Capable team being supported? 

Senior leadership met with the Capable NZ team in-person to explain the proposed changes and the process we will follow to seek feedback. We will ensure that kaimahi are offered continual support during this process. 

Q: Is there not another way of making this work? 

We wouldn’t be proposing these changes unless it was absolutely necessary. We believe that what we are proposing is a way forward to ensure we can still keep offering the same variety of programmes through Capable NZ. However, we are very open to feedback and alternative suggestions from affected kaimahi. 

Q: I'm finding this change quite difficult, where can I get support?

If you need support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Formal Leader, your People and Culture Business Partner, our Health and Wellbeing partner, Hayley Laughton, or tap into the Telus Health Employer Assistance programme. 

Last year, we made the decision to discontinue our Brewery programme due to consistently low enrolments (only one student in 2024).

It seems unlikely that we will revive the full-time programme in the future so we’re currently investigating selling the brewery equipment.

In the meantime, until the assets are sold, a lease agreement has been arranged with Rudd House Brewery (which happens to be owned by a former student of the programme).

We will continue to assess the brewery space so learning opportunities at the Central Otago Campus continue to align with the needs of both students and employers.

We have decided to move the Kōwhai Centre and English Language Centre out of their current locations on St David Street and Forth Street. 

Q: Why is this happening?

There are a few primary reasons for this:  

1. The current Kōwhai Centre site only has four available spaces which will not enable this programme to grow. Increasing the number of rooms will allow us to increase the cohort size for the Bachelor of Social Services.  
2. As part of our drive for good business practice and continual reflection on how we’re operating, we have been reviewing our space utilisation. Due to this, we’ve found that there is plenty of available space around the campus.  
3. The English Language property on Forth Street is an ageing asset that would require more capital to keep up to an acceptable standard and we are able to fit kaimahi on our main campus.  

We will therefore be moving the Kōwhai Centre into H Block, and we are working to finalise the location for English Language. This will enable us to lower our current operating costs and to sell the St David Street and Forth Street properties.  

Q: What are the details?  

The Kōwhai Centre will be moving to the sixth floor of H Block. This is a natural fit given that Social Services staff already work in this block and the existing rooms will require minimal change to convert them into counselling rooms.  

When the counselling rooms are not in use, they will be able to be used as breakout spaces for H Block staff. We’ll also be converting H612 into a new Adobe suite and developing a new counter space.

We will let you know the details we land on for English Language when we can.  

Q: When will this happen?

We will be working with staff to confirm these desk moves during April. The desk moves will then take place during July, and the H Block rooms will be prepared as counselling rooms during August – October.  

In November, we will exit the Kōwhai Centre, and the new Kōwhai Centre will be operational from January 2026.  

We will sell the two properties in late 2025 – 2026. 

Q: Why did you do a review?

The Professorial Appointments policy was introduced in July 2005 to recognise and appoint senior academic staff.  

The first full professor was appointed in late 2005.

The Professoriate has expanded significantly since then, peaking at 28 members in 2023. 

Te Kahui Manukura (TKM) decided to carry out an external and independent review to gain some actionable insights into how we can further strengthen research outputs and reputation.

We now have a real opportunity to more strongly utilise the skills and knowledge of the Professoriate across the organisation in a structured way that contributes to our financial viability and reputation for academic excellence.

TKM will be working closely with the Professoriate on this mahi.

Q: Who was on the panel?  

To ensure an independent review, the panel consists of three external experts:  

• Emeritus Professor Lachy Paterson (University of Otago) (Chair)    
• Jamie Smiler (Head of Research, Te Pūkenga)  
• Dr Kate Timms-Dean (General Manager, Aukaha)  

Q: What was the process?

An external, independent panel was appointed to conduct this review.  

The Professoriate met with members from TKM and were invited to make written and/or verbal submissions.  

Key stakeholders were also asked to supply information to the panel.  

The panel then created a final report for TKM which have given a series of recommendations about the future focus for the Professoriate. As well as an analysis of the current outputs of the Professoriate, the report also identified opportunities for development and growth.  

Q: What were the outcomes of the report?

Commendations  

The Review Panel passed along a series of commendations for the Professoriate. They wanted to celebrate:

• their resilience during a long period of ongoing structural change 
• their continued support of Otago Polytechnic through their participation in academic committees, and  
• their willingness to support Otago Polytechnic to develop its Te Tiriti practice and its Māori Strategic Framework.  

Recommendations  

The first recommendation is to propose that the Professoriate become a Community of Practice.  

A Community of Practice (CoP) is a group of individuals who share a common interest or passion and come together to learn, collaborate, and improve their skills in a particular domain to fulfil both individual and group goals.   

If the proposal is confirmed, the part-time role of Professoriate Lead will be disestablished. We are currently consulting with the Professoriate Lead on this proposal.

The other recommendations will be implemented using a phased approach. Early thinking around this approach is outlined below.  

Phase 1 – Plan  

• Share the report  
• Propose the Community of Practice  
• Clarify roles and responsibilities 

Phase 2 – Build  

• Stand up the Community of Practice (dependent on consultation outcome) 
• Research budgeting and planning processes  

Phase 3 – Optimise 

• Investigate expectations around research outputs  
• Funding model optimisation  
• Refine promotion process and career pathways  

Phase 4 – Grow 

• Promote capability and expertise  
• Enact our commitments as a Te Tiriti Partner  
• Increase external funding  
• Expand cross-institutional collaboration  

Q: Any questions?

If you have any questions, please reach out to shaun.tahau@op.ac.nz 

As part of our mahi towards ensuring a financially viable future for the Polytechnic, we are going to stop programme delivery at Mosgiel Community Learning Centre.

Q: Why?

We have been offering the Introduction to Computing programme and various computing short courses to the community for many years but have seen a downward trend in ākonga numbers since 2021. This initiative has fallen below an acceptable level of contributing margin due to the lack of uptake.

Unfortunately, due to a staff absence following an injury, we also haven’t been running this programme or the short courses since 2024.

Q: What will happen? 

We will stop delivery of the Introduction to Computing programme and short courses, effective immediately.

We will also exit the Memorandum of Understanding during May 2025 once we remove the equipment.

A community-led organisation called Com2Tech (Community Communications Technology Trust) are currently running a similar programme in Mosgiel in collaboration with the Library. They have indicated that they would like to take over the building space. We have a good relationship with Com2Tech and donate IT equipment to them quite regularly to support community initiatives.

What it means for kaimahi

• Industry Skills Boards (ISBs) established as separate standard-setting entities on 1 January 2026.
• Kaimahi within a Te Pūkenga WBL division will transfer with their division to an ISB at the start of next year for up to two years. This includes all staff, learners and assets.
• The provider continues to manage all aspects of work-based learning: enrolling learners, providing pastoral care and arranging education and assessment.
• ISBs will endorse provider programmes.

What it means for Industry  

• ITPs, PTEs and Wānanga will all be able to offer work-based learning.
• Industries will work with providers to deliver WBL programmes for sectors currently supported by Te Pūkenga.
• Industry Skills Boards (ISBs) will set training standards, endorse programmes, moderate assessments, provide pastoral care and arrange education and assessment.
• Seven ISBs are proposed and following consultation ending 20 May the number and coverage areas of ISBs is expected to be announced mid-year.  
• ISB boards will have six industry appointments and two ministerial appointments; appointments made to ISB Boards are expected to be announced in June.
• New WBL providers can start enrolling learners from 1 January 2026, subject to having met approval and funding requirements.
• On 31 December 2027, ISBs will cease managing training and all remaining enrolments must have transitioned.

What it means for students

• The changes announced by the Minister will have little impact on students currently enrolled as they will remain with their existing WBL or PTE.
• WBLs will continue to deliver their programmes and students will continue to enrol with existing providers until alternative providers are in place, or by 30 June 2027 (whichever comes first).  
• On 31 December 2027, ISBs will cease managing training and all remaining enrolments must have transitioned to an approved provider.