工党高等教育发言人格兰特•罗伯森 (Grant Robertson)
 
工党高等教育发言人格兰特•罗伯森表示2010-2011年，政府给全国各地理工学院的拨款削减了$0.4亿纽元以上――而这个阶段本应是政府为促进经济发展而投资于技能培训之时。

政府一系列的资金削减让各地理工学院受到最大影响 。各学院的拨款一共被削减了$3230万，也就是说 11%的资金来源被削减。 这影响到学生未来就业机会并可导致裁员。

如果政府继续这样下去，纽西兰将会缺乏专业技术人才以适应经济发展之需、在全球的竞争力亦受影响。
 
格兰特•罗伯森是在Timaru的高等教育论坛发言之前发表了上述评论的。
 
Aoraki 理工学院是各地方理工学院里受影响最严重的。这个学院被削减了19.9%的资金。这导致一些课程例如媒体与电脑课都一一被削减，同时员工也被裁员。

其他地区的理工学院的政府拨款也被削减，护理学，木工学与电力学的课程受到限制。诸如此类的削减给这些学院带来巨大损害，因为为社区提供培训的这些学院在社区的角色太重要了。
 
全球经济衰退已经給理工学院带来很大的经济压力，而政府的一系列资金削减只会雪上加霜。

同时，国家党政府过去的两份财政预算案显示，他们把几百万的资金投给了私营培训机构。即使其中一些是为填补需求，私营培训机构却并不像公立理工学院那样有责任去满足社区培训的广泛需要。

工党认为我们现在就应当投资于技能培训以创造富有生产力的职场和增长经济。上一届大选时，工党已承诺将致力于增加理工学院的学位以促进经济发展。
 
我们也要意识到地方理工学院的特点 ―― 如要满足其所在地区劳工市场的需求，以及为本地学生提供机会和支持地区经济。
 
政府明显不了解这些学院对于社区的重要性，工党则不然。
注：理工学院拨款情况参见： http://www.tec.govt.nz/Tertiary-Sector/Performance-information/TEI-financial-performance/2011-financial-performance-information/2011-financial-performance-information---ITPs/  （霍建强议员办公室  供稿）

Grant
ROBERTSON
Deputy Leader
Spokesperson for Tertiary Education, Skills, Training

Polytechnics struggling as government slashes funding

Polytechnics around New Zealand had funding cuts of more than $40 million between 2010 and 2011 - at the very time the Government should have been investing in skills and training to help the economy start growing again, Labour’s Tertiary Education, Skills and Training spokesperson, Grant Robertson says.
 
“Hardest hit by the funding cuts are the polytechnics in regional New Zealand. Together they lost $32.3 million, or 11 per cent of their funding. This is having an effect on opportunities for students and is seeing staff numbers cut.
 
“If the government continues along this track New Zealand will be without the skilled population it needs to grow our economy and compete with the rest of the world,” Grant Robertson said.
 
His comments preface a speech he will deliver to a tertiary education forum in Timaru tonight, on the future of tertiary education in regional New Zealand.
 
“Aoraki Polytechnic is the hardest hit of the regional polytechnics, losing 19.9 per cent of its funding. This has resulted in a number of courses - such as media and computing – being cut and staff losing their jobs.
 
“At other regional polytechnics there have been cuts and restrictions to nursing, carpentry and electrical programmes. Budget claw-backs like this do huge damage to these institutions, which play a vital role in delivering training to their local community.
 
“There has been significant pressure on polytechnics as the global recession has hit. The cuts in funding from the government are making that more difficult.
 
“Meanwhile in the last two Budgets the government has found millions of dollars of additional funding for private training establishments. While some of these do fill gaps in public provision they are not obliged to meet the broad training needs of a community as polytechnics are.
 
“Labour believes that we need to invest in skills and training now to create a productive workforce and growing economy.  At the last election we committed to creating extra places in polytechnics to help do this.
 
“We also need to recognise the special characteristics of regional polytechnics in terms of meeting their regional labour market needs, offering opportunity to local students and supporting regional economic growth.
 
“It’s clear this government does not understand the importance of these institutions to their communities. Labour does,” Grant Robertson said.
 
Link to TEC Information on Polytechnic Funding http://www.tec.govt.nz/Tertiary-Sector/Performance-information/TEI-financial-performance/2011-financial-performance-information/2011-financial-performance-information---ITPs/