Increase in enrolments to 415 students at UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui

There are 415 students enrolled for the first semester of study at UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui. Photo / Bevan Conley

An increase in students at UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui is signalling a positive shift from low enrolment numbers and courses being cut last year.

As of March 1, there are 415 students enrolled for semester one at UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui.

The 361 new students this year make up 87 per cent of the tertiary institute’s cohort. There are also 22 more equivalent fulltime students than last year.

Campus manager Bronwyn Paul said the increase in students was in line with enrolments going up around the country but was also due to a combination of factors, such as the reduced impact of Covid disruptions.

“It’s just a trend that’s flowing back; I think there’s a high demand for a skilled workforce and people are recognising that.”

In March 2023, four courses at the UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui campus were axed, with the tertiary institution blaming low enrolment numbers and high levels of employment.

Those courses were security, hairdressing, Level 4 cookery and the New Zealand Certificate in Music.

Paul said she supported UCOL cutting the courses.

“I fully agree - not just with the cuts, but you’ve got to keep refreshing your programmes, you’ve got to keep them relevant.

“It’s like having a supermarket with stock on the shelf that’s not selling. If it’s not selling, replace it with something that’s appealing.”

After cutting hairdressing in 2023, UCOL has brought it back for this year, and now says enrolment in the course has been capped for semester one due to it reaching capacity.

“When you’ve got a town the size of Whanganui, it sometimes is a really good thing to just pause a programme for the year, just to let that interest build up again and let the high school students [who] are studying pick that up as a programme when they leave.”

This year, a new Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) is being offered, as well as a Bachelor of Accounting as a stand-alone programme.

“They will both give people really good career options.”

One of the trends in Whanganui is that students enrol very late, Paul said.

“It makes it very hard for them, because they have to work out StudyLink and whether they are getting a student loan, paying the fees out of their savings or through a part-time job.”

She said it was important for students who wanted to enrol in semester two to start looking at courses now.

Paul said UCOL had now reached 88 per cent of its four-year target for student enrolments.

“It’s feeling awesome, and there’s lots of really happy students here.”

UCOL reported its international student intake across the Palmerston North, Whanganui, Masterton and Levin campuses had more than doubled from last year.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.