TEU Tertiary Update Vol 14 No 24

Universities need to face up to aging workforce

TEU National President Sandra Grey believes that Universities NZ should take a greater leadership role in addressing the ageing workforce problem it has identified. Universities NZ has rightly identified that New Zealand universities need to recruit between 560 and 920 new academics each year for the next ten years to replace retiring academics. The peak body raised the issue a second time in its recently released annual report, after earlier publishing economic modelling research by BERL that suggested the ageing workforce is a threat to the future quality of university education and research in New Zealand.

"Universities NZ it knows what the problem is, now it needs to put pressure on its affiliate members to solve it,” said Dr Grey.

"The University of Auckland's persistent attempts to drive down conditions for first time academics is the sort of behaviour that Universities New Zealand should be rejecting publicly."

Creating an environment where it is more difficult to recruit and retain new academics in New Zealand hurts not just the University of Auckland but the entire university system said Dr Grey.

"The academic community places a lot of store on reputation. Universities NZ should be rightly concerned that the University of Auckland is hurting New Zealand's reputation among those academics who are deciding whether to work here, Australia or further afield."

Also in Tertiary Update this week:

1. Tai Poutini finds new funding  stream
2. Waikato Uni's vigilant health and safety rep
3. A century for Aoraki TEU
4. Minister embeds literacy in entry level courses
5. Other news

Tai Poutini finds new funding stream

Te Tai Poutini Polytechnic is receiving an additional $750 million funding from Minister Steven Joyce after changing its name to the South Western Motorway. Outgoing chief executive Paul Wilson said that once the polytechnic registered itself as a road of national significance (RONS) rather than a tertiary education institution it found that the government coffers were no longer locked.

Mr Wilson told Tertiary Update's transport reporter Paki Taunuhia that the government expected Te Tai Poutini, as a road of national significance, to prove it was contributing to national economic growth and that it was helping people in the region to get to where they wanted to be faster than they would otherwise be able to.

"Well, we've been doing that for years, even before we changed from being a polytechnic to a road," said Mr Wilson.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce welcomed the decision, noting that the government believes that the productivity and growth that come from roads such as Te Tai Poutini make the spending an investment rather than a cost.

Meanwhile Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce also welcomed the decision saying that there was too much duplication in the tertiary education system, so turning the polytechnic into a road not only gave the country a much needed new road, but it also eliminated one unnecessary polytechnic.

"This is the type of innovative thinking we would like to see other tertiary institutions consider," Mr Joyce told Mr Paunuhia.

Footnote – there has been some confusion about the authenticity of this story. For the sake of clarity TEU wishes to confirm that, yes, it is one of Tertiary Update’s occasional attempts at satire and that neither the chief executive of Te Tai Poutini or, nor the council of Te Tai Poutini had anything to do with the writing of this story. In particular, the quotes are fictional.

Waikato Uni's vigilant health and safety rep

"If you're enthusiastic about something and take a positive attitude you do learn a lot. I've really enjoyed being health and safety rep. It's really helped my work in the library as well."

Jane Goodbehere has worked at the University of Waikato Library for 14 years. The last five years she has worked in the New Zealand collection as a library assistant. She says it is great job with brilliant colleagues.

"My colleagues tell me I turn my hand to a number of things, they call me general dog's body. I do a bit of everything; we do a lot together as a team here."

Working part-time a few years ago Jane thought becoming a health and safety rep would be good way to meet a few people and find out a bit more about health and safety. It was a bit of challenge - Jane did not know much about health and safety at the time. However, that challenge was why she took on the role.

Initially there were very few hazards in the library so Jane started to concentrate more on health issues.

"I got staff involved in fitness sessions at the university recreation centre. We had team workouts - and then others from other parts of the university joined too."

Then the university began constructing a new student centre and library, and Jane had to concentrate more on that.

"I did weekly hazard reports for management and the building coordinator, and then followed up to make sure any hazards or potential hazards were addressed."

During this time, Jane sent out information to staff and always got back to them whenever they raised a health and safety issue. Jane's regular and friendly communication with staff was one of the reasons she was nominated for, and won, the Waikato University Health and Safety award in 2010.

A century for Aoraki TEU

Aoraki Polytechnic has become the latest TEU branch to reach one hundred members.

Branch President Michael Armstrong says with the growing membership some campuses at the polytechnic are now nearly fully unionised.

"There is a general feeling of activism and involvement especially noticeable at the smaller sub-campuses where density is higher and where the members work very closely together. The members have to take much of the kudos for the growth of the branch, as they notify us of new staff and encourage them to join and are actively involved," said Mr Armstrong.

Minister embeds literacy in entry level courses

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce says his government’s focus on foundation skills has seen the number of adults accessing programmes with a strong literacy and numeracy component quadruple since 2008.

“In 2008, fewer than 15,000 adult learners accessed foundation courses with embedded literacy and numeracy. Last year, that number was 35,000 and this year it will be as high as 70,000,” Mr Joyce told last week's Adult Literacy and Numeracy Symposium at the University of Waikato.

"If we’re serious about growth and lifting standards right across the board then we need to tackle literacy and numeracy levels by ensuring this sort of learning is a core part of lower-level tertiary education.

"We have put a much clearer emphasis on the need to build foundation skills, and for successful progression into formal tertiary education.  We aim to raise these skills while learners are studying towards a specific qualification."

Mr Joyce said that programmes that embed literacy and numeracy are an essential part of foundation or entry level tertiary education – and includes Youth Guarantee programmes and industry training.

"From 2013, we want to see literacy and numeracy embedded in nearly all level 1 and 2 programmes," says Mr Joyce.

Other news

In 2012 UC is substantially increasing its funding for scholarships, including offering an unlimited number of new UC Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships of between $1000 and $3000 (paid in cash) to all those students who qualify. As an example, before they start their NCEA Level 3 studies, students who achieve merit at NCEA Level 2 will be on track to receive at least a $1000 scholarship when they commence their studies at UC - University of Canterbury

Tai Poutini Polytechnic chief executive Paul Wilson says he has been told his contract will not be renewed in January. However, his bosses initially denied that when approached by the Greymouth Star.

David Shearer to the Minister for Tertiary Education (05 Jul 2011): How many new construction related training places, if any, have so far been created at Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics as part of the Skills for Canterbury package? - Parliamentary written question

Local job markets have specific needs, and Brazil's technical institutes—the number of which has nearly tripled in eight years—are working to fulfil them - The Chronicle

Almost everybody in Australia wants a well-funded higher education system, but few people are prepared to pay for it. That was a key message of an opinion poll released last week by the National Tertiary Education Union - The Melbourne Age

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TEU Tertiary Update is published weekly on Thursdays and distributed freely to members of the Tertiary Education Union and others. You can subscribe to Tertiary Update by email or feed reader. Back issues are available on the TEU website. Direct inquiries should be made to Stephen Day.

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