40-plus jobs to go at EIT Eastern Institute of Technology in restructure

Eastern Institute of Technology's main campus in Napier. Photo / NZME

Just over 40 jobs are set to be lost at Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) as part of a restructure.

It was revealed in May that EIT - Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti’s leading tertiary provider - was proposing a restructure and job cuts.

A final decision on that restructure has now been announced, including a net reduction of 40 fulltime equivalent (FTE) roles across both academic and non-academic areas.

EIT says it does not know the exact number of individual jobs that will be reduced at this stage, but “we expect it will be slightly higher” than 40 (given not all positions are fulltime).

The job losses will likely be spread about 25% in Tairawhiti and 75% in Hawke’s Bay, EIT confirmed, although the exact jobs to go have yet to be determined.

It comes as EIT transitions back to independence in 2026, following a failed merger into Te Pūkenga (a nationwide polytech) in late 2022.

EIT operations lead Glen Harkness said the decisions on the restructure had not been made lightly.

“This change process was necessary to ensure EIT can stand tall once again as a fully independent institution from 1 January next year,” he said.

“The new structure and ways of working position us well to meet the evolving needs of our learners and the communities we serve.”

EIT's main campus in Napier. Photo / Supplied

The consultation process drew more than 350 submissions from staff.

The restructure follows an internal review earlier this year, which assessed opportunities for change across programmes, property, and people.

The review was informed by a report commissioned from PwC, as part of a directive from the Tertiary Education Commission for each polytechnic to identify pathways to financial sustainability.

In July, Minister for Vocational Education Penny Simmonds announced EIT was one of 10 polytechs returning to regional governance from January 2026, essentially becoming independent once again after being part of Te Pūkenga for the past few years.

A handful of other polytechnics were to remain part of Te Pūkenga for now as they “work towards viability”, the Minister said.

The coalition Government has been in the process of dissolving Te Pūkenga, which it has called an “unwieldy and uneconomic central institution”.

Simmonds previously told Hawke’s Bay Today that EIT 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.

The Tertiary Education Union said, in May, that given EIT’s strong position in the past, the size of the restructure was unexpected.

“EIT has always been one of those very successful polytechnics,” Tertiary Education Union’s Daniel Benson-Guiu said when the restructure was first announced.

“So, seeing such a big change ... is unexpected given what staff have previously heard about how EIT has fared over the years.”

He said the job cuts followed what had been an “absolutely gruelling” few years for staff with the Te Pūkenga reforms.

The coming months will focus on transitioning to independence and implementing the new structure, EIT stated.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.