Another 10 polytechnics would be re-established, she said.
NorthTec earlier this year suggested axing 11 programmes across primary industries, forestry and construction.
The cuts were opposed by the Tertiary Education Union and appeared to remain paused – until Monday.
Some changes following feedback earlier this year meant eight fulltime roles were now in limbo, and courses such as the New Zealand Certificate in Forestry Operations (Level 3) would no longer be delivered.
Te Uepū representative and NorthTec curriculum lead Sharlene Nelson said staff morale was lower than before.
She told the Northern Advocate prior to Monday’s meeting that a few people had gone on leave to “try and cope with everything”.
In Nelson’s opinion, NorthTec had become a “really horrible place to work”.
Staff were living with constant uncertainty and were unsure whether they should be looking for jobs, she said.
Slatter acknowledged the consultation was ongoing and difficult for all involved.
“We will work with kaimahi over all proposed changes, with the aim of minimising any impact on our ākonga,” he said.
Nelson believed a stable senior management team with experience in education was the minimum needed to move forward.
She claimed cuts to niche courses would make it harder for vulnerable Northlanders to improve their lives.
“Some of the students that we actually deal with, especially in our smaller regions, they come to us and still can’t read, and we’re talking about adults in their 30s, 40s.
“If they can’t read a basic document, how are they going to improve their lives?”
Tertiary Education Union (TEU) organiser Jill Jones said it felt as though the Government had “abandoned its responsibility” to prioritise regional education.
“Some students are saying ‘well look, why should I enrol at NorthTec if I don’t even know if my course is going to exist in the future?’”
Jones felt it was unfair for NorthTec to expect staff to cope with the uncertainty and still front up to students.
Staff were losing trust “every day”, she said.
National president for the TEU Julie Douglas did not believe the way forwards for Northland was a “whole lot of private training providers”.
She described the situation as “fait accompli”, claiming there was a deliberate attempt by the Government “for these places to just fall over”.
“They’re not being resourced, they’re not being supported, they’re not getting the sort of expertise they need and it’s the staff who are bearing the brunt of that with angry, disappointed students and communities.”
Simmonds assured the Government was committed to supporting vocational education in Northland and countrywide.
A $20 million annual fund over the next two years could support provision in smaller and rural areas like Northland, she said.
“This helps ensure that learners are not disadvantaged by where they live while we work through a longer-term plan for funding this type of provision.
“Our focus is on building a vocational education system that is locally led, regionally responsive and future focused – including for 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.
