Hon Steven Joyce

Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills & Employment
3 October 2013 Media Statement
Govt injects $18.9m into CPIT earthquake recovery

The Government has approved a capital injection of $18.9 million to the Christchurch Polytechnic and Institute of Technology (CPIT) to enable it to further expand its trades training capacity as part of its campus rebuild following the Canterbury earthquakes.

“The Government’s support means that CPIT will be able to expand its Sullivan Avenue facilities to meet further increases in trades training volumes,” Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce says.

“The expansion means that CPIT will be able to take on an additional 400 Equivalent Full-Time Students or up to 1,000 student places each year, through until 2018.

“CPIT has a comprehensive redevelopment plan exceeding $100 million in addition to insurance to rebuild and renovate its CPIT campuses. This additional $18.9 million from the Government will allow CPIT to expand its Sullivan Avenue campus further to meet additional trades training demand.

“CPIT is the main vocational education provider in Christchurch, with a focus on trades and pre-trades training. It has already increased its trade training provision by 46 per cent since 2011, and is now reaching capacity. The capital injection will enable CPIT to continue contributing to the recovery through the provision of training in practical construction skills.

“This increase in trades training is vital to the Canterbury rebuild and the wider Canterbury economy and the Government is delighted to support it on behalf of taxpayers as their contribution to CPIT's recovery.

“CPIT has done a superb job of meeting their overall rebuild needs within their own resources. However, it would not have been able to undertake this project at the same time without the Government's assistance.

“Along with the new updated facilities, CPIT has developed a new delivery model which will increase efficiency through more on-the-job learning and assessment, the use of satellite sites for some modules, mobile training units for specialist offsite training, and increased online learning.

“The CPIT expansion is a well thought-out, practical solution, which meets the short-to-medium term need of increased trades training, as well as being flexible to meet the longer-term training needs of the region.”

CPIT’s full expanded facilities will be fully operational and ready for students by January 2015, with some smaller facilities able to be used immediately upon completion during 2014.

The Government is also working with the University of Canterbury and Lincoln University on their business cases for financial support with their post-earthquake recovery. These providers are currently working with officials in the development of their cases which will be submitted to Cabinet for approval in due course.

ENDS

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