Music staff at UCOL Te Pūkenga Whanganui face redundancy

Music staff have until June 1 to lodge an appeal against the decision. Photo / Bevan Conley

UCOL Te Pukenga Whanganui‘s level 4 music course staff are facing redundancy next month.

They would be the first to go since the Chronicle reported in March that UCOL, now part of the Te Pūkenga mega-polytechnic, was axing its music, cookery, hairdressing and security courses for 2023.

At the time, the tertiary institution blamed low enrolment numbers and high levels of employment for the cuts and said fewer than five staff were being consulted with.

Tertiary Education Union organiser Ben Schmidt said UCOL made an initial decision earlier this week to disestablish two music positions.

“That is an appalling decision and absolutely the wrong way to go,” he said.

“What we need to see is to actually support staff and invest in engaging with the community, growing further developing programmes like music for the Whanganui community.”

Schmidt said the members had the ability to appeal the redundancy decision and they were intending to do so.

The appeal deadline is June 1 and a final decision will be made on June 7.

“These are experienced staff with strong local connections.”

Schmidt said while UCOL hadn’t confirmed that the course wouldn’t be reinstated in the future, getting rid of staff members meant it was much more unlikely and “very much an uphill battle”.

Te Pūkenga offered a similar response to previous Chronicle articles on UCOL’s Whanganui campus, this time attributed to the executive director of Region 3, Mark Oldershaw.

He said the level 4 music course “has had falling demand”.

“Our charter is very clear – we must be responsive to local and regional needs.

“We need to ensure that the courses we offer are aligned to ākonga (learner) demand.

“We regularly review our programme offerings and make changes to reflect ākonga demand.”

UCOL had recently introduced courses like engineering and construction, he said.

“We have responded to growing local demand by adding new programmes in carpentry and automotive, electrical and joinery. This is in addition to other new programmes offered in beauty and retail and barbering.

“In making future decisions we will continue to deliver a mix of provision that meets local needs and delivers positive outcomes for the learners, businesses, and the wider region.”