EIT's Taradale campus. Photo / Warren Buckland
The leading tertiary provider for Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti will be independent from the Government once again.
But there may still be more roles at the polytechnic disestablished to make the business viable.
Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) is the leading tertiary provider for Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti and has its main campus in Taradale, Napier.
On Monday, the Minister of Vocational Education Penny Simmonds announced regional governance will return to 10 polytechnics around the country on January 1, 2026, including EIT.
Since 2020, EIT had been a business division of Te Pūkenga, which was an amalgamation of 16 polytechnics and nine industry training organisations implemented under the previous Labour Government.
In a 2023 interview with Hawke’s Bay Today, Simmonds said the polytechnic wasn’t under financial pressure prior to the Te Pūkenga reforms, it had a “very solid” operating model, and good buy-in from the community.
“I see no reason why EIT can’t get back to its former glory,” Simmonds said at the time.
Glen Harkness, acting operations lead for EIT, said he was thrilled by the announcement.
“We are focused on ensuring we are an institution that is financially viable, academically rigorous, founded on strong and enduring industry engagement and community connections within our region,” he said.
Harkness said EIT was currently going through a consultation period with staff to ensure the polytechnic is financially viable and can operate as an independent organisation.
“This may mean some roles are disestablished in the process, however, we are still going through feedback, and no decisions have yet been made,” Harkness said.
In May, a restructure scheme proposed disestablishing 69.61 fulltime equivalent positions, and 36.47 fulltime equivalent positions would be created, with other proposed changes including reducing operating costs.
Napier MP Katie Nimon said EIT’s move back to regional governance would strengthen Hawke’s Bay’s economy and support local industries through the education provider’s 130 programmes.
“Restoring local governance means these programmes can better reflect the needs of local employers – helping more people into jobs that support our region’s growth,” she said.
Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd said by shifting decision-making closer to home, National was making sure training was shaped by those who understand local labour markets best.
“EIT will work in partnership with employers and industry to deliver the right skills, in the right places, at the right time,” she said.
Labour tertiary education spokesperson Shanan Halbert said the changes would only return the polytechnic sector to a model that was never financially viable, and the result will be “major job losses in local areas”.
“The whole point of Te Pūkenga was to make the polytechnic sector more financially viable and ensure more training opportunities and employment in our regions,” Halbert said.
“This is a sector that supports training for the kinds of jobs our regions need to fill skill gaps and boost local businesses and the economy. This Government is taking our regions backwards.”
Halbert accused Simmonds of refusing to say how much the change from Te Pūkenga would cost and said she was ignoring advice on the risks of her proposal to the financial viability of polytechnics.
He accused Simmonds of being unable to guarantee that the soon-to-be independent polytechnics would still be open in two years’ time.
But Simmonds said under Te Pūkenga it had been difficult for polytechnics to meet the needs of their communities.
“Local employers, industries, and learners have told us clearly: one-size-fits-all doesn’t work. It’s time for change,” she said.
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier.