The proposed changes were a “slap in the face” to anyone wanting to upskill and climb the career ladder, she said.
Murray worried the proposed cuts were in an area that provided vital important wraparound support.
“We’re calling to get people on board and show that this is a problem and that in Te Tai Tokerau, we are not for this proposal.
“We want to get more people out in the workforce, not take that away from them.”
She said students were scared they wouldn’t have a campus to come back to in 2026.
“That uncertainty, that what if... really puts everyone on edge.”
NorthTec students say they are anxious about their future given a looming deadline for the leading education provider to achieve viability. Photo / Brodie Stone
Operations lead Derek Slatter said Minister for Vocational Education Penny Simmonds had not indicated any plans to close NorthTec.
He said NorthTec was seeking feedback about the current proposal, and no decisions had been made.
“We welcome feedback and support from all those with an interest in NorthTec and in tertiary education in our region.”
Student representative Kirirau Retireti De Laurier said getting people engaged politically, such as at the hui, was a way to elevate the voices of students.
He hoped the hui would encourage Slatter to push back against the Government and listen to the community.
Slatter said he and the NorthTec leadership team had been meeting with multiple stakeholders committed to its future.
“We are working with the wider tertiary sector to look at collaborative ways of working across our region to ensure the continued provision of high-quality vocational education for our communities in Te Tai Tokerau.”
Simmonds acknowledged the anxiety staff, students and the community were feeling, including around the Raumanga campus.
She said NorthTec was a valued institution that would continue to play an important role.
“Our focus is on building a vocational education system that is locally led, regionally responsive and future focused – including for Northland.”
Many of the politicians vying for a seat in the Whangārei District Council, Far North District Council and Northland Regional Council shared at the hui their experiences as former students of NorthTec.
Others voiced support for the institution and the need to keep higher education in Northland.
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
