Telford upping its game
Telford will be stepping up recruitment and lifting its game to counteract the growing trend of young people choosing not to undertake tertiary study.
In March, the Balclutha-based institution’s new tertiary provider Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre, who took over the campus from Lincoln University late last year, recorded a 15 to 20 per cent increase in the number of people studying this year, because of the availability of jobs in the rural sector. This flew in the face of jobshedding, drastic drops in student numbers and budget deficits across 16 New Zealand polytechnics and technical institutes this year.
In May, it was reported the Southern Institute of Technology saw a less drastic decrease in student numbers, with 200 less fulltimeequivalent student numbers compared with last year, which was not believed to have been because of the introduction of the Government’s tertiary fees-free scheme.
However, Telford campus regional manager Don McLaren said like most institutes, Telford-Taratahi would have to work harder to attract students, because of low unemployment and the fact young people had more choice.
‘‘Life is not built around having a 40-year career anymore.’’
McLaren, who has spent much of his career in agricultural institutes, started his Telford role when Taratahi took over, amid an alarming decrease in student enrolments at the south Otago campus in the previous five years. This year, 64 students graduated from Telford, which is capable of taking about twice that number. It had a 95 per cent success rate with job placement, with employment lined-up before the students left Telford, he said. Enrolments for next year were in the 70s so far. ‘‘I think it’s fair to say we are still rebuilding.’’ known sheep industry Traditionally and McLaren for training, beef its high responding said Telford industry was to introducing demand a Certificate by Level of 4 Agriculture in dairying for the first time next year. ‘‘We’re trying to attract dairying to the area and students to Telford. We’ve support.’’ got a nice dairy unit, and the area could do with more dairying To compete with other institutes and job markets, the institute was looking hard at what it could do ‘‘to add value’’. ‘‘We’re looking at those soft skills students need, the self-confidence, the self reliance, communication and leadership skills.’’ Zero fees was not the answer to attracting students, because it did not mean that students would commit to long-term careers, he said.