Makeup of polytech subsidiary boards still unclear

WHO will sit on new polytechnic subsidiary boards, to be established in April next year, is unclear — and players involved could vary from institution to institution.

New Zealand’s polytechnics will have a subsidiaryparent model from April 2020 for two years, a model that could, continue into the future.

The chairman of the newly formed New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology establishment board, lawyer Barry Jordan, said he and two other board members were consulting polytechnics around the country about their particular needs.

The country’s polytechnic councils will be disestablished on March 31, and Mr Jordan said he was expecting the names of the board members to be announced later this year.

‘‘There is no hard and fast rule as to who’ll be on there in terms of numbers,’’ he said.

‘‘We want a very good representation from industry, learners, and the community,’’ he said.

‘‘Having great involved community stakeholders, including iwi, is very important to us when forming the composition of these subsidiaries.’’

Otago Polytechnic’s current council has six members — two ministerial appointments, Gallaway Cook Allan solicitor Kathy Grant and commissioner at Whitireia and WelTec Dr Neil Barnes, and four council ones, including University of Otago lecturer in te reo Maori Megan Potiki.

Brightline tests in the new Education (Vocational Education and Training Reform) Amendment Bill — which was in the select committee stage — specified that 50% of each board needed to be composed of people from the region the particular polytechnic was in, while the boards themselves were expected to have between four and six members, although that number could change during the process.