As we near the end of 2014, it is fair to say tertiary education has been much in the spotlight. There has been a focus on the quality of tertiary education and, in particular, some publicity given to the investigations about the misappropriation of tertiary funding. It is important that this is placed in context. Yes, it is clear that there have been some issues but tertiary education in New Zealand remains strong and one of the best systems of tertiary education in the world. The New Zealand system trains thousands of people from foundation study through to postgraduate study and provides a wide range of flexible opportunities to engage in tertiary education.
One of the strengths of New Zealand Education is its attractiveness to the international market and during 2014 we have seen a growth in international recruitment and enrolment with many young people seeing the opportunities that New Zealand education offers. Whether they choose to stay in New Zealand or take these skills back to support the development of their own country, New Zealand tertiary education has much to offer.
The government has set ambitious plans to double the value of export education by 2025 and Rotorua is playing an important role in meeting this goal. Grow Rotorua working in partnership with Waiariki Institute of Technology and local schools has been successful in securing funding from Education New Zealand to promote Rotorua as an international study destination. We are looking forward to working on this initiative to promote the benefits of tertiary education and the impact that it has on the local economy. Waiariki Institute of Technology has more than 1200 international students studying on its Rotorua campus in 2014, the highest number outside Auckland. Many of these students are economically active in Rotorua and it is estimated that the benefit to the region is three times the level of fees brought in.
Domestically, there is a focus on investment in tertiary education and the Government has placed an increasing emphasis on the outcomes for learners. As tertiary education institutions, we have been asked to gather increasingly robust information about the graduate destinations of learners so that we have information about the potential career opportunities that result and provide real examples of the success of our students. Waiariki has widely embraced this approach through setting up a Careers and Employability Centre, and through its Graduate Destination and Employer Satisfaction Surveys. It is encouraging that these surveys have demonstrated the overall level of satisfaction with courses, with 85 per cent of employers feeling that the programmes offered prepare students well for future employment.
As we move into 2015, there is much discussion about the future of tertiary education within New Zealand. The recent briefings that have been provided to incoming Ministers from the Tertiary Education Commission, the Ministry of Business Information and Enterprise and Employment and from the Ministry of Education point to some of the priorities that will result over the next two years.
