Unitec Investment Plan
2015–2016
Contents
1. Unitec Today 2
The Transformation of Unitec
4
Programme Performance
7
Community and Stakeholder Engagement
9
International Education
2.Regional and National Context
11
12
Government Priorities
12
The Auckland Plan
13
The Auckland Economy
13
Auckland Skills Profile
13
Sub-regional Demographics
14
Summary16
3.Looking Forward
Priority 1:
17
Delivering Skills for Industry 17
Priority 2: Getting At-risk Young People into a Career
27
Priority 3: Boosting Achievement of Māori and Pasifika
28
Priority 4: Improving Adult Literacy and Numeracy
30
Priority 5: Strengthening Research-based Institutions
32
Priority 6: Growing International Linkages
33
4.Performance Indicators
35
5.Financial Performance 39
Glossary
42
Bibliography
43
Appendices
44
1
Unitec Today
Education is on the cusp of disruptive change driven
that our programme portfolio changes in line with
by the impact of technology, learner expectations of
these trends. Nursing, Medical Imaging, Engineering
employment outcomes, employer and government
and Architecture are cases in point, and as such Unitec
expectations of relevance and value, and major
expects the currently modest postgraduate portfolio
corporate interest starting to enter the sector (such
will gradually increase as occupational qualification
as Amazon, Facebook, Google). Delivery models
levels require. Further to this, Unitec has developed
have changed more in the past 10 years than in the
a number of qualifications, including postgraduate
previous 1,000 years and are expected to change
qualifications aimed at continuing professional
even more over the coming decade. This has included
development requirements for employed people who
the arrival of new models courtesy of providers such
are looking to reskill or acquire additional skills.
as EDx and Udacity, coming with the endorsement of
top-tier universities, Khan Academy and others, which
challenge incumbents to justify their existence.
Over time, Unitec expects to focus on level 3 as the
lowest qualification level delivered directly, and on
building a network of schools (via a range of Youth
Unitec is well placed to respond to these changes as
Guarantee initiatives), Industry Training Organisations
New Zealand’s largest institute of technology and
(ITOs), Private Training Enterprises (PTEs), Manukau
polytechnic (ITP), and the largest non-university
Institute of Technology (MIT) and wānanga, which
tertiary provider in the Auckland region. In 2013,
pathway students (including Not in Education,
Unitec had 19,771 students (or 10,152 equivalent
Employment or Training (NEETs)) towards Unitec’s
fulltime students (EFTS)) enrolled in 149 programmes,
career-focused qualifications. This transition is
ranging from foundation education and community
expected to occur over the next two years.
skills certificates to doctorate programmes.
Over 85% of Unitec’s students are studying towards
The institute’s primary focus is on the associate
qualifications at level 4 or above; while it is the largest
professional, advanced trades and technology sectors
ITP in regards to degree-level graduates (contributing
of industry skills needs. Unitec is the largest supplier
18% of the ITP sector total), and delivers 78% of ITP
of architecture, construction and computing skills
masters graduates. Unitec is the only New Zealand
among New Zealand’s ITPs.
ITP that offers doctorate-level programmes, offering
Unitec's qualification portfolio mix is primarily
aligned to meet the qualification requirements
for advanced vocational and applied- or para-
the Doctor in Computing, PhD in Education, while
the Doctor of Professional Practice is currently being
developed to be offered in late 2015.
professional occupations; hence the significant
Unitec delivers a unique combination of business and
balance of enrolments at levels 4–7. Over time, a
creative sector programmes, including internationally
number of occupational qualification requirements will
recognised architecture and performing arts
increase from certificates and diplomas to degrees,
qualifications that are consistently over-subscribed
and eventually a requirement for postgraduate
and well-linked to industry opportunities. Unitec’s
specialisation. A core feature of Unitec's portfolio is
collaborative arrangement with IBM continues to bring
Table 1 : Unitec’s Mix of Provison (MOP) by broad occupation class and relative to other TEOs
Occupation Skill Level
Entry Level
Qualification
High Skilled (L8-L10)
Eg Business, Legal, Science, Engineering, Clinicians,
Managerial Professionals
PhD
Skilled (L4-7)
Associate/Para-Professionals Technologists, Technicians,
Trades, Crafts
Degree
Uni MoP
Unitec MoP
ITP MoP
Masters Hons, PG Dip
Diploma
L5 Diploma
L4
Semi-Skilled/Elementary
L3
L1-2
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
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learning and working environments closer together,
manage our natural environment, and improve the
providing real-world experience for students while
health and wellbeing of New Zealanders” (Tertiary
they are studying.
Education Strategy).
Provision and capacity in the applied engineering,
The relationship between Unitec and secondary
technology, and built environment programmes
and other tertiary providers in the region continues
have grown, with increased enrolment numbers and
to mature and strengthen. Unitec currently runs
extended programme reach. Unitec delivers these
10 secondary school programmes, involving 61
programmes at its Mt Albert campus, in partnership
schools and approximately 3,500 students. These
with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in south Auckland,
programmes are tailored, with a particular focus on
through local secondary schools and in the north of
Māori and Pacific learners. In 2014, Unitec, on behalf of
Auckland from Unitec’s Northern campus.
a consortium made up of MIT, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa,
Unitec will continue to focus its portfolio of
provision on the skilled occupational class groups,
with a particular focus on reskilling and continuing
professional development in the domains of
architecture, design, computing and educational
leadership. The Mind Lab by Unitec draws on the
education expertise of both organisations to provide
teachers and their students with the opportunity to
learn how to integrate technology, enhance digital
capability and activate new teaching practices in
the classroom.
Unitec is the largest provider of export education in
the New Zealand ITP sector. In 2013, this generated
$23.3 million in international student tuition fees,
accounting for 16.1% of Unitec’s revenue. Unitec has
further been proactive in leading the establishment
of offshore delivery models to complement inbound
student recruitment. In addition, Unitec employs
approximately 2,000 people across Auckland and
directly channels $130 million per annum into
Auckland’s economy, with considerable flow-on
benefits. Unitec also has significant land holdings,
many of which have historical, cultural, and economic
importance for the Auckland region and its people.
Unitec is New Zealand’s leading institute of
technology in both the quality and quantity of
its research, and is ranked first among ITPs in
the Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF)
assessment. Unitec has strengths in terms of an
and a number of community and ITO partners, entered
into collaborative partnerships called the Auckland
Māori and Pacific Trades Initiative (AMPTI). This
initiative will recruit and support young Māori and
Pacific people into trades training and through to
employment throughout the Auckland region. Unitec
also championed the development of the Auckland
Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Roadmap,
and is proactively working towards the establishment
of the Auckland ITP/ITO Alliance to respond to this.
Alongside other education providers Unitec works
closely with employers, business associations,
professional bodies, government agencies, and
community organisations. On a regional level Unitec
works with Auckland Council and, at a local level, with
local boards, while also working closely with a number
of central government departments and ministries,
including Foreign Affairs and Trade, Internal Affairs,
Social Development, Youth Development, Pacific
Island Affairs, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Ministry of Business,
Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and the Ministry
of Primary Industries (MPI) to progress the aspirations
of government across a range of outcome areas.
Unitec acknowledges the Treaty of Waitangi
as the founding document of New Zealand.
Through its partnership agreement – Te Noho
Kotahitanga – Unitec uses five principles
to pursue its goals and Treaty of Waitangi
responsibilities:
applied and practical focus, its mixture of programmes
»» Rangatiratanga – Authority & responsibility
involving research at postgraduate and undergraduate
»» Wakaritenga – Legitimacy
levels, and its strong relationships with Iwi, community
»» Kaitiakitanga – Guardianship
and industry. This means it is well placed to respond
to government priorities – particularly in delivering
»» Nohotahi – Co-operation
“economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits.
»» Ngākau Māhaki – Respect
This includes helping us to better understand our
unique culture and our place in the world, effectively
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
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Progress 2012–2014
The previous Investment Plan outlined how Unitec
had moved from an institution with structural
financial and resourcing challenges, to become a
high-performing institute of technology during the
2008–12 period. Throughout this period, Unitec
experienced substantial growth in EFTS, in part due
to the counter-cyclical relationship tertiary, especially
vocational, education has with employment growth.
As the New Zealand economy improves, Unitec has
seen a correlating decline in enrolments. While Unitec’s
enrolment figures have declined year-on-year since
2012, structural changes in business operations
implemented since 2008 have helped Unitec to
The relationship between Unitec and IBM
was launched in February 2013 and in its first
year of operation, the IBM Delivery Centre
on the Mt Albert campus provided more
than 200 Unitec students with employment
opportunities. Eleven students were also
awarded the first round of Unitec Success
Scholarships, which are supported by IBM.
The relationship represents the integration of
industry with teaching and learning, with all of
the students benefiting from sustained access
to IBM’s specialists and a raft of activities to
integrate their learning with IBM’s business
activities.
weather the downturn.
The Transformation of Unitec
Since 2012, Unitec has continued to exhibit sustained
The New Zealand tertiary education sector faces
improvement in educational performance. Successful
the introduction of funding for outcomes, a strong
course completion for Student Achievement
economy and skills shortages as well as increasing
Component (SAC) funded students improved from
expectations from government. Characteristics
79% in 2011 to 82% in 2013, while Māori and Pacific
commonly found in disrupted industries, and that
students improved (respectively) from 72% and 66%
Unitec expects to become increasingly apparent in its
in 2011 to 76% and 72% in 2013. The EFTS-weighted
sector, include:
qualification completion rate improved from 60% in
2011 to 65% in 2013, noting the significant flaws in
this indicator.
Enrolment figures in the applied education sector are
a significant lead indicator of the country’s economic
outlook. Towards the end of 2012, Unitec started
to see a softening of domestic student enrolments
as the economy and job market improved. In 2013,
Unitec’s total revenue was down $6 million on 2012,
due in large part to a 7% decrease in domestic EFTS,
»» Competitive churn – the appearance of new players,
many of whom will fail or morph rapidly, and the
shrinkage or failure of established players
»» Fighting on two fronts – disruption drives regulatory
change, requiring responses to market and
legislative challenges simultaneously
»» Competitive advantages prevail – the incumbents
are privileged during disruption, if they possess real
competitive advantages
»» Performance differences widen – as the level of
which resulted in a $5.7 million reduction in SAC
competition increases and competition shifts to true
funding. Other factors included a loss of government
sources of advantage, the gap between top and
funding for Level 1 and 2 programmes, the impact of
inflationary pressures, while SAC funding per student
bottom performers can persist for many years
»» Productivity and innovation increase – strong
had remained unchanged since 2010. This was
financial performance depends on operational
partially offset by an 8.9% increase in revenue from
efficiency (including capital utilisation)
international students – an area of significant growth
in 2013, building on strong performance in previous
years. Unitec managed this reduction in revenue
through continued tight control of expenditure and
a reprioritisation of our institutional budget mid-
»» New value propositions reveal new customer
segments
»» Profit pools shift
»» Mergers and acquisitions increase.
year. Even in this challenging environment Unitec
Unitec today has a business model, learning model,
maintained a strong cash flow and a baseline surplus
property, technology and staffing structure designed
equivalent to that of 2012; however, investment in key
to be successful in an environment that existed in the
strategic change projects led to a significantly lower
past and is challenged to afford the investments that
end-of-year net operating surplus than budgeted,
the looming future requires. All of these, whilst posing
foreshadowing our transformation agenda.
a threat to Unitec, will allow new industry leaders
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
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with broader and more compelling business models
These will be shaped by the strategic direction of
to emerge. Unitec intends to be one of these
these areas, to propose a future state of producing
industry leaders.
graduates that are in high demand, engaged lifelong
Unitec is challenged by maintaining momentum in the
current environment and to afford the investments
that transformation to be a leader in the new reality
requires:
learners, staff who are agile and current delivering
outstanding education outcomes, attracting students
and business partners from across the globe, and an
institute that will provide a fresh, vibrant, authentic
experience.
»» Education models and practices are outdated,
reducing programme and qualification relevance
»» Staff capability and organisation culture relevant to
past needs and expectations prevents Unitec from
responding effectively to the changing environment
»» Technology, systems, and processes do not meet
future business needs, reducing the ability to drive
performance improvement
»» The physical asset-base is inefficient and poorly
aligned with future requirements, compromising
financial viability and the ability to meet learning
needs.
The high-level outcomes that Unitec is seeking to
achieve through its operations are:
»» Increased income generation
»» Improved workforce productivity
»» Better outcomes for students and employers
»» Increased fit between Unitec’s offerings and its
community’s requirements
»» Better fit between staff capabilities and delivery of
contemporary learning models.
To achieve this, Unitec is undertaking a programme
of transformation which will focus on and address a
whole-of-organisation shift necessary to align Unitec’s
future strategic direction.
This transformation encompasses six work streams
that are taking stock of the current position and have
begun shaping their current strategies to be more
future-aligned. There will be four informing work
streams and two informed work streams.
The four informing work streams are:
»» Highly productive talent
»» Reframing the workforce
»» Reconceptualising services
»» Unshackling the property anchor.
The two informed work streams are:
»» Meeting government priorities
»» Being an excellent business.
Highly Productive Talent
Unitec is focusing on better supporting success
as it relates to graduate capability as entry-level
professionals, enhanced professional practice
and career development for all learners, students,
practitioners, teachers, and researchers. In order to
better foster success, the following areas are being
reviewed:
»» Learner pathways and delivery structures –
including department and funding models,
timetabling, inward-focused content and structure,
course mobility, and collaboration
»» Curriculum design – limited traction with the Living
Curriculum expectations
»» Pedagogies (teaching and learning arrangements
within the curriculum) – progress e-learning and
work-integrated learning in particular
»» Research – issues of productivity (inconstant
research activity across programmes) and impact
(producing research that is useful to stakeholders)
»» Responsiveness – the need for evidence-based
action planning and execution, to keep programmes,
delivery arrangements and teaching fresh.
The desired outcomes of this strategy include:
»» The development of a new, institutional model for
programme delivery that improves current learner
pathways and delivery models
»» Fast-tracking a comprehensive programme to
ensure Living Curriculum characteristics and related
21st century pedagogies are embedded in all Unitec
provision
»» Focusing and accelerating research activity in
specialised clusters, identified in partnership with
tactical industry and community partners
»» Strategically recruiting and performance-managing
staff in alignment with the clusters and developing
postgraduate programmes and scholarships to
support these clusters
»» Developing a coherent and adaptive institute-wide
approach to evidence collection and action planning.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
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Reframing the Workforce
Unitec is focused on developing a new teaching
capability that is truly integrated with industry to
meet the needs of learners, industry, and the broader
community. In order to achieve this, Unitec intends to
address the current state and the workforce profile
Consequently, Unitec needs to redesign all its services
to ensure that they meet the needs of an online
community and provide the economies of scale to
make the best use of specialised skilled staff.
Unshackling the Property Anchor
which will not allow Unitec to operate efficiently in the
Unitec needs to think about how it uses space, as a
desired future state.
catalyst to reshape and transform the value it adds
External analysis has identified the need to reduce the
fixed costs of staff and is now working to ascertain
staff costs and revenue. Capability modelling has
to society. Unitec’s facilities need to support a more
integrated learning approach with industry and the
changing needs of learners.
been conducted to assess what staff require in the
The current state of Unitec’s property does not
future state. Considerable gaps have been identified,
support new-generation learning models. An
such as up-skilling staff in digital literacy, work-
oversized estate is a financial drain, sucking operating
based learning, research and enterprise, and cultural
budget from the learning mission. The inability to
responsiveness. Work is underway to establish contact
afford appropriate estate management has left it in
and non-contact hours attributable to courses and
unacceptably poor condition (including significant
programmes.
seismic risk).
It is anticipated that this will create an agile, flexible,
The desired outcome is a transformation of all Unitec
current, and cost-effective workforce delivering high-
property, particularly the Mt Albert campus. The
quality learning experiences to our students and staff.
enabling work for this will be the Property Strategy,
which, in the first instance, proposes the consolidation
Reconceptualising Services
Services need to be flexible and adaptable to best
meet the changing needs of learners, whilst delivering
in an integrated way as part of a broader ITP sector.
Present technology, systems, and processes will not
meet future business needs, reducing the ability to
drive performance improvement.
Unitec needs to move away from the current service
models that are based on a staffing structure heavily
reliant on face-to-face/individual support provided by
highly capable and trained specialists. This approach is
unsustainable as Unitec looks to grow its 21st century
learning models to include a blend of online, onsite
and self-directed study.
Current service models are restricted by:
»» Activity that is transactional, manual and based on
significant user input, with minimal scope for end
users to access self-service options
»» A lack of consistent agreed data to make sound
business decisions or to measure performance and
outcomes
»» Project management capability that is immature or
lacking; many change initiatives are not well planned
and managed
»» No collective strategic direction across departments,
resulting in silo operations that are inconsistent,
fractured and duplicated.
of Unitec's core facilities in a single place with fitfor-purpose buildings and a renewed learning hub at
its heart. Planning and consenting for this is already
underway.
Unitec's transformation will be financially supported
by the Property Strategy, which will be further enabled
by the creation of a wholly Unitec-owned commercial
property entity. This entity will be responsible for the
planning of the precinct’s development potential and
the realisation of appropriate value.
Unitec's Mt Albert campus is one of the most
significant properties in Auckland that will contribute
to realising regional and national priorities (beyond
tertiary education), including positively contributing to
Auckland's housing supply constraints and economic
development.
Meeting Government Priorities
As a publically-funded tertiary institution, Unitec
must align with the priorities of central and local
government. Unitec is an active and engaged member
of the tertiary education sector, aligning the business
primarily with the Better Public Services targets and
Tertiary Education Strategy priorities. At the local level,
Unitec regularly engages with Auckland Council and
relevant local boards, aligning the business with the
Auckland Plan.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
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Being an Excellent Business
An overarching goal of the transformation of Unitec is
to increase educational and operational effectiveness
across the organisation. This will directly influence
Unitec's ability to be an agile, innovative brand that
attracts the top employers in New Zealand and
part of the Business Case to implement the wholeof-organisation transformation. Thus, we will be
revisiting the Investment Plan with TEC in early-mid
2015 for 2016.
Programme Performance
worldwide – where poor performance is not tolerated
The relevance of its programmes to the needs of
– while delivering high academic quality and innovative
industry and the community is central to Unitec’s
learning pathways that focus on the individual.
educational success over the Investment Plan period.
The key initiatives identified as part of this work
stream are:
»» Creating strong governance structures, and
business and educational performance measures
to drive operational excellence. This has a direct
impact/influence on the other work streams, and
will be seen as a driver of positive performance
within those work streams
»» Enhancing our revenue mix by maximising
How these programmes are designed and delivered
are also critical to Unitec’s success.
Academic Board
In its governance role, the Academic Board oversees
and reports to the Unitec Council on educational
performance and on related evaluative questioning,
development, and improvement.
The Academic Board’s oversight is based on a traffic
the commercial potential from our assets, and
light system (Red, Amber, Green) which regularly rates
reinvesting funds into core educational activities
programmes for student demand, student success,
»» Building a better business with upgrades to
management information systems. This will be
graduate satisfaction, research productivity (degrees
only), curriculum development, and capability in self-
driven by the reconceptualising services work
assessment. Also, once each year the Academic Board
stream
and Council receive details of student success in the
»» Investing in repositioning Unitec within the sector to
better present our unique skills and story.
previous year with programme capability in using selfassessment tools.
A number of activities are underway to relook,
Academic Committees regularly receive data on
rethink, and redesign our strategies to achieve our
performance and enabler/capability processes. The
aspiration of being a world-scale, world-class institute
higher the level of the committee, the less granular
of technology through being an excellent business.
the detail is expected to be. Programme committees
These include:
track performance, using live data wherever possible,
»» The development of a property strategy to maximise
potential from our properties
»» A business development strategy to create
diversified revenue streams
»» A business intelligence and information
requirements assessment to develop stronger
management information systems, and
»» Building the Unitec story to reposition Unitec with a
unique identity and value proposition.
Timing and Financials
The Business Case is currently being written, with a
submission to Tertiary Education Commission (TEC)
scheduled for late 2014. Unitec has undertaken
substantial financial modelling to inform the Business
Case and it is expected that the outcomes will
have a significant impact on future portfolio and
financial objectives. Implementation planning is also
underway with an approach being put forward as
and they engage in continual self-assessment. They
examine their Amber ratings and ask:
1. What do we know about the outcomes being
achieved?
2. What do we know about what causes or
contributes to those outcomes?
(Where there is a mixed pattern of Ambers with
other ratings, they also ask:
2a. How can we explain the variation in levels of
outcomes?)
3. H
ow valid and reliable is the information used to
answer questions 1 and 2?
4. How is our information and analysis referenced
or benchmarked?
5. How is information and analysis used to determine
improvement actions?
6. What improvement actions will be implemented,
by whom, by when?
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
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7. Who will be responsible for implementation?
When deciding how best to respond to the demand
8. What will the evidence be that improvement is
of the different sectors, Unitec also considers the
actually occurring?
9. How will implementation be monitored, by whom?
Where there are Red ratings, Programme Committees
put themselves on notice. They negotiate a timeline
for improvement, and seek independent advice and
support for identifying and analysing problems, and for
developing and implementing solutions. They answer
an additional question:
10. What arrangements will be made if improvements
are not achieved within the agreed timeline?
Where ratings are Green, Programme Committees
look for opportunities to develop/innovate beyond
improvement, and for opportunities to provide
institute-wide leadership as well as support to
programmes confronting critical improvement.
broader demands of central and local government, its
own institutional strengths, and issues associated
with the provision of vocational training across the
tertiary education sector (particularly in Auckland).
Unitec cannot take a siloed view of its operation,
and this has influenced decisions to work with
other Tertiary Education Organisations (TEOs) to
avoid duplication, maximise operational efficiency,
and deliver the best possible educational and skills
provision outcomes for the region.
These factors have influenced Unitec’s provision
decisions at a sector level. Higher levels of provision
in construction and infrastructure and community
and social services reflect projected increases
in demand, largely due to population growth in
Auckland. Population growth has resulted in large
Faculty Academic Committees and other committees
new infrastructure investments and, in the case of
that report directly to the Academic Board monitor
the health sector, pressure for new sector capabilities
performance and intervene where performance falls
due to changes in the models of service delivery
below acceptable levels. To fulfil its oversight role, the
(specifically the move towards increased community
Board may request reports on these interventions.
and primary healthcare delivery).
These will usually be reports on actions already
in place.
Unitec's applied postgraduate portfolio continues
to grow. In 2014, three new suites of postgraduate
Academic Portfolio
qualifications are being developed:
Unitec’s academic portfolio seeks to respond to the
Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf) – A third-
skill requirements of industries in Auckland (and,
generation doctorate that covers work-based,
in some sectors, New Zealand), and has aligned its
transdisciplinary, candidate-centred, and research
programmes to the pathway fields introduced through
development projects. The purpose of the DProf
the vocational pathway tool (Ministry of Education,
is for candidates to make a significant and original
2012b). By mapping broad industry sectors of the
contribution to practice that is of public value, while
Auckland and New Zealand economies against these
also developing or confirming the candidate as
pathways, it is possible to achieve an overall picture of
a leading member of a professional community
how Unitec’s programme portfolio contributes to these
of practice.
industry sectors. Unitec's academic portfolio reflects:
»» Alignment with current broad sector employment
levels in Auckland (such as health)
»» Alignment with strong national employment levels
(such as architecture)
»» Targeted/professional programmes aligned to
sectors with higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
contribution (such as manufacturing and business
services).
»» Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice
(PGCertAP), Postgraduate Diploma in Applied
Practice (PGDAP), and Master of Applied Practice
(MAP) – Over a period of three years all faculty
postgraduate qualifications will transition to the
new degree structure. It is anticipated that the
market will favour the 180 credit masters degree
over the 240 credit existing option in most, if not
all, cases. The new postgraduate Applied Practice
pathway will be very flexible in that it will enable
A further 12% of Unitec’s academic portfolio is from
students to undertake a degree in a discipline-
categories reflecting Unitec’s foundation education
specific way or in a trans-disciplinary way – the
and related language, literacy, and workskills
former having a semi-prescribed schedule of study
programmes.
where there are restrictions due to regulation
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
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or registration. This Applied Practice model is
adaptable, scalable, and structured to enable new
endorsements to be efficiently incorporated and
approved at any time.
»» Graduate Diploma in Creative Enterprise (GDipCE)
and Bachelor of Creative Enterprise (BCE) –This
programme offers students an opportunity to
engage in inter-disciplinary studies associated
with the generation, application, and exploitation
of creative, ingenious, and imaginative knowledge.
It will produce graduates who are able to engage
in inter-disciplinary projects associated with the
generation, application, and exploitation of creative
knowledge and entrepreneurial innovation.
The qualifications aim to meet the contemporary
workplace demands of employers and industries
that require flexible problem solvers who can
collaborate across a range of disciplines and
contribute to the development of a sustainable
and competitive economy whilst being capable and
adaptable citizens.
Community and Stakeholder
Engagement
Unitec continues to set itself challenging performance
targets, and understands its ambitions will not
be realised without the support of, and through
engagement with, others. Establishing collaborative
approaches and shared goals with industry, other
TEOs, Māori, Pacific communities, students and
government (both local and central) is fundamental
to Unitec realising its ambitions for its students, staff,
and communities.
Engagement to Date
Māori and Pasifika
Unitec has established advisory bodies representing
the region’s Māori and Pacific communities. Over
the past three years, with the legislated review of
ITP and Council composition, and the development
and implementation of strategies to improve the
outcomes for these “priority communities”, Unitec has
repositioned these bodies to be part of the institute’s
governance structure.
Over the next Investment Plan period, Unitec’s Fono
Faufautua will continue to sit as an advisory subcommittee of Unitec Council. It will have responsibility
for advising Council on Unitec’s progress towards
meeting the goals and aspirations identified in the
Unitec Pacific Strategy.
Unitec’s Rūnanga (Te Rūnanga) has overseen and
guided the development of the marae, Te Noho
Kotahitanga, at the Mt Albert campus. Te Rūnanga
will continue to be a conduit between Unitec and
mana whenua, mātāwaka in Tāmaki, act as guardian
of Unitec’s partnership commitment and response to
Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and be a resource to all of Unitec's
programmes and students.
Student Engagement
Unitec provides a range of service and support
functions to enhance the student experience and
student engagement, including:
»» Library and learning support services at each of its
campuses
»» Financial support including scholarships and
hardship funding
Unitec works actively with a broad range of
»» Learner support for students with disabilities
stakeholders to set and achieve collective goals
»» Counselling, careers, and health centre services
through engagement, collaboration, and partnership.
Stakeholders, particularly those in industry, have
recognised these improved efforts, and believe Unitec
is a much more engaged organisation than it has been
in the past.
More can be gained by intensifying Unitec’s business,
community, and stakeholder engagement activities.
»» Recreation facilities
»» Multi-faith spiritual support
»» On-campus accommodation
»» Information technology (IT) support and wireless
networks, and
»» Inter-campus transport services.
The immediate benefits of engagement result in
The impact of these services is measured in their
curricula and programmes that reflect the needs
contribution to student retention and progression, as
of industry and the community. However, the
well as student satisfaction levels.
broader purpose is to transform Unitec’s teaching,
research, and service mission to ensure it continues
to contribute to regional (and national) social and
economic development.
In 2013, Unitec’s student association (previously
known as USU) ceased to operate as a student
association and became a student service provider.
Across 2013 and 2014 Unitec contracted USU to
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
9
provide a range of student engagement services
The Alliance of TEOs assisting with the creation of
such as social engagement events, student voice
this skills roadmap consists of the two main vocational
and representation, and student communication and
ITPs in Auckland (Unitec and MIT) and four ITOs
media services. In July 2013, USU officially became
related to the C&I sector (BCITO, SkillsNZ, Competenz,
EdCollective – a registered company based at Unitec.
and Connexis1). The Alliance members are currently
Their mission is to help create 21st century New
working together to create a joint Skills Supply Plan
Zealanders for the world.
for the Auckland C&I sector in response to this skills
Contract negotiations with EdCollective for 2015–2017
are currently underway. The emphasis of their delivery
roadmap, to ensure skills provision is well aligned to
skills need, with no overlap or gaps.
will be on ensuring alignment to the Blueprint’s
Unitec is working with the other Alliance partners to
reconceptualisation of services with a specific focus
map the current collective qualifications mix across
on peer-to-peer engagement, the
the main occupations outlined in the roadmap. This
use of technology to enhance engagement, and
will identify any significant gaps and misalignment in
ensuring engagement starts well before students
the qualifications portfolio. The existing pipeline of
arrive on campus.
trainees and students will also be mapped to identify
Unitec also operates targeted support services/
centres for priority learner groups. Unitec’s Māori
Development Centre and Pacific Centre have been
nationally recognised for their contribution to raising
participation and achievement levels. Unitec’s
dedicated youth engagement team supports younger
areas of over- or under-supply, and the partners will
then identify both collective and individual responses
in the form of a Skills Delivery Plan for Auckland. We
expect to be engaging with the TEC on this plan (and
potential future funding implications) towards the end
of 2014.
students in their transition to tertiary education,
In 2014, Unitec and Taratahi Agricultural Training
particularly students studying under the Youth
Centre are planning to develop a partnered tertiary
Guarantee scheme. Unitec also runs a range of
agriculture education programme in Auckland.
mentoring and targeted peer support programmes.
Through a collaborative approach, Unitec and Taratahi
believe that there is an opportunity to execute a
TEOs and Industry
Unitec has worked with other TEOs in the Auckland
region to reduce duplication of programme delivery.
Both the Manukau Institute of Technology and Te
Wānanga o Aotearoa deliver programmes from
Unitec’s Mt Albert campus, while Unitec is actively
engaged with industry leaders and other tertiary
education organisations to deliver training within the
Auckland region.
phased approach to the programme deployment that
meets a skills area that is on the Ministry of Business,
Innovation, and Employment’s immediate skills
shortage list. The programme’s development, which
is aligned with the needs of all stakeholder groups
with a phased approach over the Investment Plan
period, is being explored for commencement in late
2014. This will enable Unitec and Taratahi to connect
New Zealand’s largest labour pool to New Zealand’s
primary industries sector through agriculture-aligned
Unitec has been actively engaged with other TEOs in
programmes such as agri-business, engineering, Māori
assisting the Auckland construction and infrastructure
culture, and animal health.
(C&I) industry sector with the development of a
workforce skills “roadmap”. This skills roadmap looks
out over the next five years and is being led by a
consortium of major construction industry players,
including Fletcher Building, Hawkins Construction,
Naylor Love, Dominion Contractors, and the NZ
Transport Agency. This work is also being strongly
supported by Auckland Council. It is intended as a
formal statement of skills need by the C&I sector to
the vocational tertiary education providers in the
Auckland region.
1
Formerly known as Infratrain.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
10
Alumni
In 2014, Unitec launched an ambitious alumni strategy
to create an inspirational and dynamic programme
that fosters, supports and motivates Unitec alumni
and current students to find and achieve their lifelong
goals. It aims to build and foster strategic partnerships
with alumni leaders in key business and community
organisations, providing a real point of difference to
other alumni programmes, based on meaningful and
International Education
Unitec’s internationalisation aspirations place
international student enrolment within a broader
strategic context. Unitec seeks to be recognised as an
institution that values, promotes, and supports cultural
diversity while fostering intercultural understanding
and equipping all students to work and live in an
increasingly complex and interconnected world.
relevant engagement. Additionally, it will provide
Unitec international enrolments represent 24% of the
timely feedback to refine and improve relevancy of
total international student enrolments for the New
Unitec programme offerings.
Zealand ITP sector, a position it has sustained over the
past decade. International students now account for
International
Unitec has several key international stakeholders in
the form of commercial relationships such as the one
with CMC India; research partnership relationships such
as the dual doctoral programme with Nara Institute
of Science and Technology (NAIST) in Japan; and joint
venture relationships with overseas universities such as
that with Shangdong University in China.
Summary
16% of all Unitec enrolments. Income generated from
international student fees accounts for 16% of Unitec
income, significantly higher than the 10% average
across all other New Zealand ITPs. Furthermore,
international income has grown 8% year-on-year for
the past five years.
Unitec attracts students from approximately 100
countries, with China, India and Saudi Arabia the
primary markets. Maintaining the diversity of the
international student population is a high priority
Unitec's engagement with employers, business, and
for Unitec. Diverse market sources reduce the risk
industry is core to all programme operations. This is
from exposure to changes in international demand
embedded in academic policies and guidelines, and
for export education, provide diversity within the
monitored by Unitec's Academic Board. The "voice" of
classroom, maintain a balance of national groups, and
employers and industry is required in all programme
foster internationalisation.
review and development processes. Programme
Evaluation Reports identify engagement plans and
objectives for programmes/departments.
During the upcoming investment period, Unitec will
continue to develop and diversify its international
education offering, reflecting the Government’s
Attached in the Appendix is the current version of
enthusiasm for export education as a key contributor
Unitec’s Stakeholder Engagement Plan. The plan
to New Zealand’s future economic success. Over the
illustrates the breadth of Unitec’s stakeholder
next three years, our international student enrolments
engagement from a “whole-of-organisation” through
will increase, although to no more than 20% of total
to individual programme level.
student enrolments. Unitec wishes to maintain a
The outcome of Unitec’s commitment to engagement
is evidenced through a number of the projects
included in this Investment Plan proposal. The IBM
balance in the proportion of international students
to domestic students, as well as the proportion of
students from a particular country or region.
and Concentrix Initiative, Awhina Health Centre
Unitec continues to look at other models of delivery
and alignment of provision with MIT are all direct
to international markets. This has included (in
results of the prioritising of engagement at Unitec.
partnership with other New Zealand and international
A key business improvement initiative for the next
partners) investigations into:
Investment Plan period will be the development of a
customer relationship management tool to support
and capture the significant activity and impact of this
work at Unitec.
»» The establishment of offshore campuses to meet
the need for New Zealand-quality qualifications
»» The development of educational programmes for
delivery by other offshore organisations/providers
»» The establishment of provision exclusively for
international students
»» The co-location of private international providers on
Unitec campuses.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
11
Regional and National Context
As New Zealand’s largest institute of technology,
and the largest non-university tertiary education
provider in the Auckland region, Unitec is required
to align with Government priorities, and specifically
meet the demographic and industry needs of the
Auckland region. While Unitec operates predominantly
in central, west, and north Auckland, as a partner in
the wider tertiary education sector, the institute has
strong and successful cooperative and collaborative
arrangements with other ITPs, universities, wānanga,
ITOs, and other tertiary education providers.
Government Priorities
The Government’s Tertiary Education Strategy (TES)
outlines the desired direction for tertiary education in
New Zealand for the 2015–16 Investment Plan period.
The TES emphasises the opportunity to:
“develop a tertiary education system that is more
flexible, outward-facing and engaged. It identifies six
priorities for the tertiary system to change its direction
or intensity to achieve the outcomes sought by the
Government and has a particular focus on increasing
the tertiary system’s contribution to economic
growth.” (Ministry of Education, 2013)
These priorities are nested within the Better Public
Services targets, which cover a range of areas,
including education and employment. Among these
targets are two specifically relating to tertiary
education:
• To increase the proportion of 18 year olds with
National Certificate of Educational Achievement
(NCEA) level 2 or equivalent qualification
• To increase the proportion of 25–34 year olds
with advanced trade qualifications, diplomas
and degrees (at level 4 or above). (State Services
Commission, 2014)
Auckland Regional Demographics
Highlights from the 2013 Census show population
growth slowing; New Zealand is getting older and
there are fewer children than there were in 2006.
Asian ethnic groups have almost doubled in size since
2001, while Māori and Pacific peoples have significant
youthful populations. A quarter of the population
is overseas born, with Hindi now the fourth most
common language.
Auckland has a smaller Māori population at 10% by
proportion and grew the least (4%) amongst other
ethnicities; Asian ethnicities were the second largest
plurality at 23%, increasing by over 25% on the 2006
census.
Net migration flows have slowed between Australia
and New Zealand, with changing conditions in
Australian employment growth, especially those
linked to or in the mining sector. This slow-down could
impact on Auckland, which as a "major destination for
migrants and the largest labour market in New Zealand
could experience a significant short term boost to its
population numbers and labour supply." (Auckland
Council, 2014)
The opportunity here for Unitec is to position itself as
a provider for returning workers to reskill and up-skill
into New Zealand-centric employment markets.
Asian immigration, particularly from mainland
Chinese, is forecast to maintain growth in line with
the expanding middle class. These new consumers
are expected to become a significant source of global
trade and consumption, with 68% of households in
Asia having access to the internet.
The percentage of adults with a bachelors degree or
equivalent as their highest qualification increased
from 11% in 2006 to 14% in 2013 – of these 42%
were men and 58% were women. Some 21% of
The remaining targets cover health, crime,
people have no formal qualification. In Auckland,
employment, social welfare, and improved accessibility
the largest growth in formal qualifications were
to public services.
postgraduate and honours degrees, which saw a 66%
The Government is also expecting public sector
agencies to work in a more integrated way, recognising
increase from 2006, followed by a 40% increase in
those with a masters degree.
the important inter-relationships between different
Over two million adults are employed and a million are
sectors. For example, improved educational outcomes
not in the labour force. More people are now employed
for Māori and Pacific peoples is impacted by policy
in professional occupations, with health care and
decisions taken in the health, housing, and social
social assistance now the most common industries for
development sectors, as well as the agencies involved
employment. Manufacturing saw the largest decline in
directly in the education sector.
people employed in the industry with a 14% decrease
since 2006, but is still the third largest industry after
retail trade and health care.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
12
The percentage of people aged 65 years and over
regional unemployment rate dropped in the March
who were employed nearly doubled since 2001. In
quarter of 2014, and is now at its lowest point since
2013, 22.1% of those aged over 65 were employed
2008. (Auckland Council, 2014)
compared with 11.4% in 2001. This parallels youth
employment issues faced in Europe where 23% of
those aged 15–25 are unemployed. An increase in
the participation rate in a demand-constrained job
market means more competition for jobs for younger
people who are disadvantaged by their lack of work
experience. In New Zealand these factors compound
with low education success rates within Māori and
Pasifika priority groups, who are notable in their
relatively younger population age skews.
The Auckland Plan
The Unitec Investment Plan 2013–15 outlined the
Auckland Plan and associated Economic Development
Strategy. The Auckland Plan projected that, by
2040, the region will be home to 2.1 million people,
requiring 400,000 new dwellings, as well as billions
of dollars of new and improved infrastructure. Since
Overall, the economic resurgence in New Zealand
is marked by a flourishing job market, decreasing
unemployment and the return of expatriates, largely
attributed to the softening of the Australian economy.
This creates economic opportunities for major cities
like Auckland to attract and retain skilled workers.
(Auckland Council, 2014)
Auckland Skills Profile
In the year ending March 2014, employment in
Auckland increased by 30,800 (37% of New
Zealand’s annual employment growth). This increase
mostly came from rising employment in retail trade,
accommodation and food services (up 13,800) and
professional, scientific, technical, administration and
support services (up 11,100):
»» Within the Construction and Infrastructure sector,
2012, Auckland Council has continued with the
residential and non-residential building will drive
implementation of the Auckland Plan through
overall growth in Auckland.
the Long-term Plan 2012–2022 (LTP) and the
Unitary Plan.
Volume two of the LTP outlines how the Auckland Plan
will build a “prosperous, culturally diverse city, that
is innovative and capitalises on its knowledge, skills
and creativity is attractive to entrepreneurial workers
and enhances lives” (Auckland Council, 2012), and, in
particular, Auckland Council’s role in driving economic
development. The Unitary Plan outlines a plan to make
Auckland the "world’s most liveable city".
Unitec made a submission to the Unitary Plan
process, outlining a long-term vision for our existing
Mt Albert campus. Unitec committed to working
alongside Auckland Council to help deliver on the
world’s most liveable city goal, and is committed to
meeting the needs of stakeholder businesses and
employers with work-ready graduates. Unitec is also
»» Future growth in the Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) sector is expected
to be largely driven by the Computer System Design
and Related Services sub-sector.
»» The Creative sector continues to be marked by the
precarious nature of many of its jobs. Accordingly,
digital technology has been highlighted as an area
of potential significance.
»» Similar to other industries, the Finance and
Management sector shows signs of recovery, with
growth in employment numbers especially in the
Management and Related Consulting Services subsector.
»» The Health sector is expected to continue to grow
with an expanding and ageing population but it is,
however, expected to grow at a slower rate due to
lower spending in public health.
»» With changes continuing to take place in primary
committed to making a positive contribution in our
industries, especially in its value chain, Auckland is
local communities.
expected to be one of the largest beneficiaries from
an expansion in demand for support services by the
The Auckland Economy
As the New Zealand economy comes out of the global
financial crisis, Auckland is experiencing a rebound in
primary sector. Hence, growth will be largely driven
by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Support
Services sub-sector.
employment, driven predominantly by housing activity
A more detailed analysis of the Auckland skills profile
and construction. Housing activity for the March
is included in section 3, including how Unitec will help
quarter of 2014 was 17.9% higher year-on-year,
deliver skills for industry.
while consumer confidence was strong in both the
December 2013 and March 2014 quarters. Auckland’s
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
13
Sub-regional Demographics
Unitec operates campuses in three sub-regions of
Auckland – central (Mt Albert), north (Northern), and
west (Waitākere).
In the Whau and Albert-Eden local board areas, the
percentage of school leavers with NCEA level 2 or
above was 68% and 89% (respectively) compared to
77% for the Auckland region. This difference is largely
attributed to the socio-economic and demographic
The following demographic information has been
make-up of the secondary school populations in
drawn from territorial authority reports from the
those areas. Unitec will continue to work closely
Auckland Council as well as Infometrics’ Active Profiles.
with secondary schools in the Whau catchment; only
The reports bring together information from the most
slightly more than half (54%) of Māori school leavers
recent census (2013), the Ministry of Education’s
in Whau attained NCEA level 2 or higher.
annual reporting of educational performance,
(COMET, 2012)
and Statistics New Zealand’s Business
Demographic database.
Unitec in the central sub-region – distinctive features:
»» Largest Unitec campus with a broad range of
Central Sub-region – Mt Albert
Whau and Albert-Eden local board areas span from
Kelston and Green Bay in the west, to Mt Eden,
Greenlane, and Epsom in the east. There is a broad
range of businesses in the area, with retail a particular
feature – the area is home to two of New Zealand’s
oldest and largest shopping malls (LynnMall and St
Lukes). The area is also home to the Greenlane Clinical
Centre (including Auckland Regional Public Health), the
Rosebank industrial area, Plant and Food Research’s Mt
Albert facility, and Eden Park. New Zealand’s largestever roading project (the Waterview Interchange) is
being constructed along the western boundary of
Unitec’s Mt Albert campus.
In Albert-Eden, employment growth in 2013 exceeded
the national average of 1.2%, reaching 5.2%. Jobs
in the Albert-Eden area are predominantly in the
managerial, professional, and administrative sectors,
provision levels 3-10
»» Key provision themes: specialist infrastructure
and facilities, particularly in the advanced trades,
construction and technology, a broad range
of creative industries, sport, education, and
foundation/learning education, as well as the
IBM Delivery Centre
»» Multi-provider presence (including MIT,
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa)
»» To meet the changing needs of learners and of
Auckland, Unitec will develop the Mt Albert campus
into a new education hub for the 21st century.
Northern Sub-region – Albany
This sub-region covers the area from Devonport and
Takapuna in the east, to Whenuapai and Hobsonville in
the west, and Albany in the north down to Birkenhead
in the south.
which accounts for over 50% of employment.
Thirteen percent of Auckland’s population live in
Growth was observed in virtually all sectors. In
this sub-region, and residents (especially those in
Whau, manufacturing accounts for over 25% of all
the Devonport-Takapuna and Upper Harbour areas)
employment, but job growth in 2013 declined overall
generally report higher levels of formal education than
by -2%, with the only significant sector bucking this
the regional average.
trend being Community and Personal Services, which
grew by 0.7%.
The sub-region is home to the North Shore Hospital,
Devonport Naval Base, North Harbour Stadium,
This sub-region is home to 12% of Auckland’s
and a significant retail centre at Albany. Education
population, and the manufacturing sector remains the
services are also a feature of the region, with Massey
biggest employer in the Whau local board area since
University’s Albany Campus, Auckland University of
the last Investment Plan period, accounting for more
Technology’s Akoranga campus, and Unitec’s Northern
than a quarter of jobs in the sub-region. Similarly,
Campus in the area.
health and social services remains the biggest
employment sector in the Albert-Eden region – largely
due to the Greenlane Clinical Centre. However,
the sectors with the biggest job creation rates are
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services and
Education and Training.
Devonport-Takapuna, Kaipātiki, and Upper Harbour
Local Board areas show similar employment trends
to Albert-Eden and Whau. The two strongest
employment sectors in these areas are managerial
and professional jobs, followed by technical and
trades occupations and sales workers. Significant
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
14
employment growth above the national average was
Residents in this sub-region have generally lower
observed in Upper Harbour and Devonport-Takapuna.
levels of education than residents in the other sub-
For Kaipātiki, technicians and trades saw a growth
regions Unitec serves. More than half of residents
of 15.6%.
(aged 15 or over) were employed full-time and a
The Upper Harbour Local Board has experienced
significant green and brown field development
further 13% part-time. Around 31% were managers,
while 16% were technicians or trade workers.
recently, with the conversion of the former
Although this area accounts for 8% of the region’s
Hobsonville Air Force base into the Hobsonville Point
population, it only accounts for 5% of the region’s
residential development, while Albany’s residential
businesses, with almost half of all workers commuting
and commercial growth has continued. Both areas are
to other parts of Auckland for work. The largest
home to new primary and secondary schools, including
number of local businesses were in the construction
New Zealand’s first public-private partnership school.
sector (16%), followed by rental, hiring, and real
In most of the northern sub-region, school leavers
estate services.
perform well, with 90% (Upper Harbour) and 93%
Employment in Henderson-Massey sits above the
(Devonport-Takapuna) attaining NCEA level 2 or above
national average in the Professional, Technical &
(compared with a regional average of 77%). Kaipātiki
Trades and Community & Personal Services sectors
local board falls slightly below the regional average
and along with Managerial roles accounts for over
with 75% of school leavers attaining NCEA level 2
50% of the employment in this region. Employment
or above. However, Pacific school leaver attainment
growth in Henderson-Massey to 2013 was slightly
in the northern sub-region is a particular cause for
above the national averages, with Community &
concern; 43% in Upper Harbour and 46% in Kaipātiki
Personal Service work seeing a significant 5.5%
(COMET, 2012).
growth. A similar growth in this sector has been
These relatively high rates of student retention mean
Unitec will continue to work in collaboration with
secondary schools.
Unitec in the Northern sub-region – distinctive
features:
»» Multi-provider facility, levels 1-7 provision to meet
the need for skilled workers in trade training,
healthcare, business, communication and
information technology
»» Provision for English language programmes for
recent arrivals to New Zealand, and foundation
programmes to prepare students for further study
or employment
»» A venue for local access to Youth Guarantee
provision and other secondary/tertiary initiatives.
Western Sub-region – Waitākere
This sub-region includes Henderson, Te Atatū, West
observed in Waitākere Ranges which has otherwise
experienced an overall decline in employment growth.
In the west, secondary school educational attainment
is significantly lower than it is in Mt Albert and
North – school leaver attainment to NCEA level 2 for
Henderson-Massey is just 69%, with Māori (57%) and
Pacific school leavers (60%) lagging behind.
Because of the higher levels of need, Unitec’s
approach to encouraging higher learning in this
sub-region is more multi-faceted, including schools
programmes, as well as partnerships with Māori, nongovernmental organisations, other TEOs (including
PTEs) and social services agencies. This sub-region will
continue to pilot new approaches to attracting at-risk
secondary school students – such as extensions to
trade academies.School programmes will continue
to focus more specifically on the needs of Māori and
Pacific students.
Harbour, Massey, Rānui, and Glendene. Commercial
Unitec in the western sub-region – distinctive
and light industrial areas around Lincoln Road
features:
and Henderson provide local employment, while
significant infrastructure projects (such as the
State Highway 16 upgrade project and the North
Western Transformation at Westgate) have increased
commercial and industrial activity and provided
new jobs.
»» Key provision themes: Health, community and
social development, foundation learning, business
services, selected performing arts, te reo Māori,
language studies and literacy education
»» Strong focus on secondary-tertiary pathways with
continued development of the Massey High
School concept.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
15
Summary
Auckland is a young, fast-growing and diverse city.
As the New Zealand economy continues to pick
up, Auckland will continue to need more high- and
medium-skilled graduates in professional and
technical trades.
Significant investments in regional infrastructure
have also created short- to medium-term demand for
engineering, manufacturing, and construction skills,
demand that may continue with new large-scale
projects in the pipeline – in particular, the Westgate
Redevelopment, the Auckland Central Rail Link, the
Waterview Connection, and other ongoing work on the
North Western Motorway.
At a national level, the expectations of Government
are escalating. The improving economy will drive
greater demand for high-skilled technical graduates.
The Government is also focusing on how tertiary
institutions can better operate and how TEOs connect
with each other, with industry, and with international
companies and organisations.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
16
Looking Forward
Unitec has engaged in a process of significant
transformation in order to stay relevant in the 21st
century. In a rapidly changing environment, this
will transform outcomes for both learners and the
businesses Unitec serves. The initiatives underway
as part of the transformation project are outlined in
Section 1 of this Investment Plan.
In addition to Unitec’s transformation project, the
institute will focus on the six Government priorities
as outlined in the Tertiary Education Strategy
2014–2019:
Tracking Graduate Destinations
Unitec tracks graduate destinations through the
Graduate Destination Survey. This survey is conducted
every year to understand student satisfaction while
studying at Unitec and analyse what they go on to do
once they have graduated – whether employment,
further study or something completely different.
In total, 1,355 students filled out the 2014 graduate
survey. This represents a 42% response rate which
Unitec can be 95% confident represents the total
graduate population, within a margin of error of
1. Delivering skills for industry
+/- 2%. Overall, this response rate has trended up
2. Getting at-risk young people into a career
over the last few years with significant consideration
3. Boosting achievement of Māori and Pasifika
4. Improving adult literacy and numeracy
5. Strengthening research-based institutions
6. Growing international linkages.
Priority 1: Delivering Skills for
Industry
Unitec works closely with industry and stakeholders
to ensure the institute stays relevant to changing
given to marketing incentives for survey completions.
Accordingly, it is a good representative source of:
»» Where our graduates are going,
»» How related their job is to their qualification,
»» How well they are able to meet their job
requirements,
»» Whether Unitec has met their learning needs and
provided efficient levels of support, and
»» Whether they would recommend Unitec.
needs and workforce requirements. Unitec continues
Figure 1 on page 18 is a visual representation of
to find innovative ways to blend working and learning
graduate survey results. It shows the flow from one
environments in a way that benefits graduates and
intersect to the next and is particularly useful in
better meets industry needs.
highlighting the significant flows (determined by
A stand-out example of Unitec’s desire to blend
working and learning environments is the IBM Delivery
Centre, which operates on Unitec’s Mt Albert campus.
IBM is a global technology powerhouse, and through
this relationship Unitec now has three Fortune 500
companies and some of the country’s biggest brands
operating out of Unitec’s largest campus. These
include Air New Zealand and Westpac. In the second
year of operation, IBM was joined in the Delivery
Centre by Concentrix, a global provider in the customer
experience management industry.
Unitec will continue to explore strategic opportunities
to work in partnership with industry, both in New
Zealand and overseas. Since 2013, Unitec has forged
partnerships with other TEOs, industry leaders, and
organisations all over the world, including those
outlined in this Investment Plan.
its width). In total, 38% of those who completed
the survey have graduated with a bachelors degree
followed by certificate (34%) and diploma (13%). In
total, 66% are in paid work consisting of salary/wage
earners (61%) and self-employed (5%). Of those in
paid work, 45% are working full-time and 20% parttime. Some 24% are not in paid work and are actively
looking for paid work, whereas 9% are not in paid
work, nor are they looking for paid work. In total, 30%
are enrolled in further study – 19% at Unitec, 3% at
AUT and 3% at the University of Auckland.
Of those in paid work, 29% remained in the same job
with an existing employer, 17% found their main job
via previous internship/placement/work experience,
8% found their main job via promotion or transfer with
an existing employer, 5% set up their own business
and 41% found their main job via other means. Some
55% stated their main job is highly related to their
qualification and 17% stated it was moderately
related. Of those in paid work, 35% are able to meet
job requirements extremely well and 34% stated they
were able to meet job requirements very well.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
17
Degree
Employment Situation
Full/Part-time
Further Study Plan
Recent Activity
Fig 1: Graduate survey respondents’ pathways by level of qualification
Construction and Infrastructure Sector
The Construction sector experiences the highs and
lows of the business cycle more acutely than the
economy as a whole: it has a high churn rate for jobs,
due largely to the high proportion of labourer and
contractual occupations. In 2013, some 34% of
New Zealand’s non-residential and 32% of
residential building construction firms were
operating in Auckland.
Despite the global financial crisis, the number of
firms in New Zealand has not fallen below 2005
figures, with Construction Services firms dominating
the market. This sub-sector employs a wide range
of occupations, from electricians and plumbers to
concreters, plasterers, and carpet layers.
The gradual recovery from the global financial
crisis is evident in employment figures, with the
number of individuals employed in the Construction
Since the beginning of the global financial crisis in
2008, the number of construction firms in Auckland
has declined. Nevertheless, with greater demand
for housing and infrastructure as well as weather-
sector in Auckland on the rise since 2010. In 2013,
the Construction Services sub-sector in Auckland
employed 34,730 individuals, 1,840 more than
in 2010.
tightness remedial work in Auckland, this sector is
expected to gradually recover in the next few years.
Table 2: Construction sector firms operating in Auckland, 2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Construction sector (ANZSIC 06)
2013 Geographic Units
NZ
Auckland
% in Auckland
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
1,856
521
28%
Construction Services
31,342
10,059
32%
Residential Building Construction
15,769
5,091
32%
Non-residential Building Construction
1,442
488
34%
TOTAL
50,409
16,159
32%
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
18
Residential Building Construction
Non-Residential Building Construction
Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
Construction Services
Fig 2: Construction & Infrastructure employees (ANZSIC06) by sub-sector, Auckland, 2000-2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Example Output – Auckland Māori Pasifika Trades
Initiative (AMPTI): In a consortium with MIT, Te Wānanga o
Aotearoa, and a number of community and ITO partners,
Unitec is working to recruit and support young Māori
and Pacific people into trades training and through to
employment. The primary aim is to ensure more Māori and
Pacific learners can obtain apprenticeships in the trades
and specifically in the construction and infrastructure
industries which are currently experiencing severe skills
shortages, especially in Auckland and Christchurch.
AMPTI envisages a pan-Auckland response towards
coordinating provision, learner recruitment and support,
training and employment outcomes, with specific roles
for members of the consortium. A key feature of the
AMPTI will be a focus on creating a seamless pathway
for learners that removes barriers that typically prevent
Māori and Pacific students from succeeding. Other
features of the proposal include:
»» A governance structure to oversee and manage
the initiative, its funding, and to drive and monitor
success outcomes
»» A longer-term drive to align pre-entry assessments
and application processes with a view to working
towards a single entry point for learners
»» The inclusion of wrap-around external support for
learners as an embedded component of their learning
pathway
»» A reconsideration of learning packages that are in
modular form and shortened to enable flexibility for
the learner, and
»» A fast-tracked pathway to employment in order to
meet the skill demands of the market.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
19
Manufacturing and Engineering Sector
In 2013, 40% of New Zealand’s Engineering Design
and Engineering Consulting Services firms were
operating in Auckland.
While 47% of Boatbuilding and Repair Services firms
may be situated in the Auckland region, they do not
occupy a strong position in the market with only 280
firms operating in 2013, marked by significant decline
in business growth over the last 10 years. Conversely,
the Engineering Design and Engineering Consulting
Services sub-sector remains steady with 4% growth
since 2008.
The number of individuals employed in the Automotive
Repair and Maintenance sub-sector has gradually
fallen since 2008 whereas the number of workers
has risen in the Engineering Design and Engineering
Consulting Services sub-sector across Auckland.
Example Output – Dempsey Wood Racing Team. Since
2013, Unitec has sponsored the Dempsey Wood Racing
Team. The team has employed nine Unitec graduates over
the period of the sponsorship, helping Unitec students
to connect with the automotive industry. The team's
car is Unitec branded and used at Unitec promotional
and recruitment events. Because Porsche races
exclusively in the GTRNZ GT 1 competition, this opens
up opportunities for hands-on experience for Bachelor
of Applied Technology (Electrical Engineering) students
to work alongside a racing team and work on a custombuilt Porsche engine. For each race a selected student
gains valuable work experience with Motor Science who
maintain the race car engine.
Table 3: Engineering and Manufacturing firms operating in Auckland, 2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Engineering and Manufacturing Sector (ANZSIC06)
2013 Geographic Units
NZ
Auckland
% in Auckland
Boatbuilding and Repair Services
598
280
47%
Surveying and Mapping Services
563
177
31%
Engineering Design and Engineering Consulting Services
5,003
1,993
40%
Automotive Repair and Maintenance
9,995
3,315
33%
TOTAL
12,197
4,171
34%
Boatbuilding and Repair Services
Engineering Design and Engineering Consulting Services
Surveying and Mapping Services
Automotive Repair and Maintenance
Fig 3: Engineering and Manufacturing employees (ANZSIC06) by sub-sector, Auckland, 2000-2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
20
Information Communication Technology/
Computing Sector
In 2013, 57% of New Zealand’s Telecommunications
Services firms and 49% of Internet Service Providers,
Web Search Portals and Data Processing Services firms
were operating in Auckland.
Following the dip in 2010, growth has resumed, largely
driven by employment in the Computer System Design
and Related Services sub-sector. With digital technology
and automation driving significant change across the
whole economy, the ability to innovate new products,
applications, and software will ultimately contribute to
sustaining growth in demand for its services.
Although it is not a significant net creator of jobs, the
occupational structure of employment in the
telecommunications industry is projected to change
rapidly in the near future, resulting in the creation of
many higher-skilled jobs, including telecommunication
and electronic engineers.
The Auckland market is also dominated by Computer
System Design and Related Services firms – highlighting
the importance of producing future workers with skills
around computer hardware programming, software
development and consulting, internet and web design
services, and system analysis services.
Table 4: ICT firms operating in Auckland, 2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
ICT Sector
(ANZSIC 06)
2013 Geographic Units
NZ
Auckland
% in Auckland
Telecommunications Services
450
258
57%
Internet Service Providers, Web Search Portals and Data
Processing Services
498
245
49%
Computer System Design and Related Services
10,042
4,723
47%
TOTAL
10,990
5,226
48%
Computer System Design and Related Service
Internet Service Providers, Web Search Portals and Data Processing
Telecommunications Services
Fig 4: ICT employees (ANZSIC06) by sub-sector, Auckland, 2000-2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
21
Creative Sector
In 2013, 60% of New Zealand’s Advertising Services
firms and 55% of Motion Picture and Sound Recording
Activities firms were operating in Auckland.
The Motion Picture and Sound Recording Activities
sub-sector remains steady in Auckland with 7%
growth since 2008. This involves post-production
activities for screen production such as digital
graphics, animation, or effects work.
The continual decline in the number of employees in
the Printing sub-sector is not completely unexpected
given the age of digitisation, marked by changing
behaviours in media consumption where greater
emphasis is being placed on online activities and
services.
Recent research has shown that this sector has been
performing extremely well. A PWC report has looked at
the literature, music, television, and film sectors and
their annual contribution. Chair of WeCreate, Paula
Browning, states that in total the creative industry
is similar in size to the forestry sector and twice the
size of the printing sector. It contributes $3.5 billion
Example Output– Design and Contemporary Arts
Department. In 2014, Unitec launched an innovative
new teaching model in the Design and Contemporary
Arts Department that will have a huge impact on the
employability of Unitec students. The core teaching
team has been reduced in size with the introduction of
a significant number of industry professionals who will
be brought in to deliver specific projects within a wide
range of specialist areas. Following this, new programmes
will be developed, with input from students, staff, and
industry professionals, for launch in 2015. This new
approach will connect students to leading industry
professionals who will share their expertise, have input
into course content and offer opportunities for students
to engage with live industry projects.
annually to New Zealand’s gross domestic product.
Table 5: Creative firms operating in Auckland, 2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Creative Sector (ANZSIC 06)
2013 Geographic Units
NZ
Auckland
% in Auckland
Printing
1,399
716
51%
Motion Picture and Sound Recording Activities
2,976
1,632
55%
Broadcasting (except Internet)
276
90
33%
Advertising Services
1,653
989
60%
Artistic Activities
3,015
1,545
51%
TOTAL
9,319
4,972
53%
Printing
Motion Picture and Sound Recording Activities
Broadcasting (except Internet)
Advertising
Artistic Activities
Fig 5: Creative employees (ANZSIC06) by sub-sector, Auckland, 2000-2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
22
Finance and Management Sector
In 2013, 45% of New Zealand's Accounting Services
firms and 44% of Management and Related
Consulting Services firms were operating in Auckland.
There has been a 1% drop in Management and Related
Consulting Services since 2008. However, there are
signs of recovery, with employment numbers on the
rise from 2010 onwards in Auckland. Management
and Related Consulting Services include business
management, efficiency advisory, operational
research, sales advisory and management consulting
services.
Similar to nationwide trends, the number of workers in
the Banking sector has been steady in Auckland, while
the Management and Related Consulting Services
sub-sector has experienced growth over the years.
Table 6: Finance and Management firms operating in Auckland, 2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Finance & Management Sector
(ANZSIC 06)
2013 Geographic Units
NZ
Auckland
% in Auckland
Banking
1,059
341
32%
Accounting Services
4,918
2,235
45%
Management and Related Consulting Services
17,338
7,621
44%
Central Government Administration
524
110
21%
TOTAL
23,839
10,307
43%
Banking
Accounting Services
Management and Related Consulting Services
Central Government Administration
Fig 6: Finance and Management employees (ANZSIC06) by sub-sector, Auckland, 2000-2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
23
Health Care and Social Assistance Sector
In 2013, 36% of New Zealand's Medical and Other
Health Care Services firms and 30% of Social
Assistance Services firms were operating in Auckland.
Both sub-sectors have shown strong presence in
the Auckland region, with 9% growth in the former
and 14% growth in the latter since 2008. Medical
and Other Health Care Services mainly consist of
independent general medical practices, as well as
specialised areas such as dentistry, optometry, and
physiotherapy. Other health care services include
those not classified elsewhere, such as blood bank
operations and health assessment services.
Employment in the Health Care and Social Assistance
sector has been growing steadily since 2000 and
does not appear to have been impacted by macrolevel factors such as the global financial crisis. The
demand for health professionals, associate health
professionals, and caregivers is expected to grow,
although at slower rates.
Example Output – Āwhina Health Campus. Unitec has
a strong partnership with Waitemata District Health
Board, one of the region’s biggest employers, through the
Āwhina Health Campus. This partnership between Unitec
and the DHB was established in 2011 and it continues to
flourish as a centre for learning, teaching, and research.
In 2013, the Āwhina Health Campus sponsored a forum
in West Auckland called ‘Health and Social Development
in the West ’. At this forum, which was attended by 115
stakeholders, consideration was given to a workforce
that would be needed to address West Auckland’s
considerable health and social issues.
Table 7: Health Care and Social Assistance firms operating in Auckland, 2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Health Care & Social Assistance
(ANZSIC 06)
2013 Geographic Units
NZ
Auckland
% in Auckland
Hospitals
208
48
23%
Medical and Other Health Care Services
15,352
5,496
36%
Residential Care Services
1,391
360
26%
Social Assistance Services
3,151
948
30%
TOTAL
20,102
6,852
34%
Hospitals
Medical and Other Health Care Services
Residential Care Services
Social Assistance Services
Fig 7: Health Care and Social Assistance employees (ANZSIC06) by sub-sector, Auckland, 2000-2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
24
Education and Training Sector
The Education and Training sector is largely welldistributed throughout New Zealand. With some
school closures in Christchurch, a small drop in the
number of preschool and school education outlets
is expected. In 2013, 37% of New Zealand’s Adult,
Community and Other Education organisations were
operating in Auckland.
This involves non-vocational instruction in sporting,
physical recreational activities, arts, and other
education not classified elsewhere (for example,
driving schools, parental education programmes,
public speaking training).
The Preschool and School Education sub-sector
employs the highest number of workers, followed by
Tertiary Education. In alignment with the nature of this
sector, employment figures have been relatively
steady since 2000.
Example Output – The Mind Lab by Unitec. In 2014, The
Mind Lab by Unitec launched the new Postgraduate
Certificate in Applied Practice (Digital and Collaborative
Learning), giving teachers the opportunity to gain
practical, hands-on experience in the latest teaching
practices. A New Zealand first, the postgraduate
certificate will provide teachers with the opportunity
to spend time in The Mind Lab's creative learning
environment, where they can try out new ways of using
spaces, technology, and collaboration to encourage
entrepreneurship, risk-taking, resilience, and creative
problem solving. This hands-on opportunity will be
complemented by school-based applied practice and
online learning.
Table 8: Education and Training Sector employers operating in Auckland, 2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Education and Training
(ANZSIC 06)
2013 Geographic Units
NZ
Auckland
% in Auckland
Preschool and School Education
5,595
1,311
23%
Tertiary Education
877
267
30%
Adult, Community and Other Education
3,628
1,331
37%
TOTAL
10,100
2,909
29%
Preschool and School Education
Tertiary Education
Adult, Community and Other Education
Fig 8: Education and Training employees (ANZSIC06) by sub-sector, Auckland, 2000–2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
25
Primary Industries Sector
This means industry will require more specialist skills
In 2013, 7% of New Zealand’s Agriculture, Forestry
and Fishing Support Services firms were operating in
Auckland.
to take full advantage of increasingly sophisticated
farming and processing systems as well as increased
market opportunities in Asia. Specialist skills will also
be required to manage critical issues around food
safety, biosecurity, sustainability, and animal welfare.
According to the 2014 report by the Ministry of
Primary Industries (MPI), employment in Auckland,
closely followed by Northland, is expected to be the
largest beneficiary from an expansion of primary
sector activities. This expansion reflects the growing
demand for support services by the primary sector and
the location of much of this support is in the Auckland
region.
Fields of study expected to be in demand are:
»» Engineering (sophistication of equipment used in
production and processing)
»» Management and commerce (core business and
management), and
»» Society and culture (increases in both human
Table 9: Primary Industry employers operating in Auckland,
2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Primary Industries
Sector
(ANZSIC 06)
resource management and in the demand for
foreign skills).
2013 Geographic Units
NZ
Auckland
% in Auckland
Agriculture
58,008
3,494
6%
Aquaculture
293
17
6%
Forestry and Logging
4,924
250
5%
Fishing, Hunting and
Trapping
1,423
125
9%
Agriculture, Forestry
and Fishing Support
Services
6,118
435
7%
Mining
828
93
11%
TOTAL
71,594
4,414
6%
In 2013, a total of 5,660 individuals were employed
in the primary industries sector in Auckland. Overall,
there has been a decline in the number of employed
workers. According to the 2014 MPI report, support
services in this sector are expected to increase.
This will be driven by New Zealand's increasingly
sophisticated food and fibre industries as major users
of innovators of technology. Hence, changes are
expected to occur across the value chain including
in production, processing, marketing, and customer
Example Output – Taratahi Collaboration. Taratahi and
Unitec are collaborating for the provision of agricultural
training in the Auckland region. In 2014, phase one of
the collaborative agreement includes delivering the
Certificate in General Farm Skills level 3 in the Auckland
region, a shared school liaison resource, and mutual
cooperation on international marketing for Taratahi’s
level 5 diplomas. Discussions to develop multi-level
engagement at levels 3 to 5 and to offer significant
opportunities for students in the region are also
continuing.
relationships if growth targets are to be met.
Agriculture
Aquaculture
Forestry and Logging
Fishing, Hunting and Trapping
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Support Services
Mining
Fig 9: Primary Industry employees (ANZSIC06) by sub-sector, Auckland, 2000–2013 (Source: Statistics NZ)
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
26
Priority 2: Getting At-risk Young
People into a Career
The Auckland region is home to 40% of New
Zealanders aged under 25 years. There are well
articulated and clear links between young people’s
educational attainment and their future prospects
for employment and enhanced quality of life. Having
a level 4 or above qualification in Auckland results
in greater labour force participation than those with
lower level or no qualifications.
Unitec acknowledges the Government priorities
to achieve a tertiary system that can better
support young people, especially those at risk of
disengaging from education, by working with schools,
communities, and employers.
In this Investment Plan period, Unitec will further work
on implementing the recommendations of The Student
Services Blueprint and The Technology Strategy to
further accommodate the needs of young learners
in a 21st century learning environment. Unitec will
further develop work-ready capabilities in our students
through the implementation of internships and other
work-style, project-based assignments in line with
programmes of work such as The Living Job and the
workstreams of the Transformation Business Case.
Example Output – Partner Schools. In 2013, Unitec
continued to strengthen the relationships with 30
partner schools from central, west, and north Auckland.
In early 2014, Unitec launched a new level 4 Certificate
of University Preparation in partnership with Massey
University. The certificate prepares students for degreelevel study at universities or ITPs in New Zealand,
giving them an entry-level qualification that can be
used to apply for a degree programme. Unitec will also
continue to deliver taster, academic, and examination
preparation programmes to help the transition of young
people from the secondary to tertiary environment.
These programmes experienced a 400% increase in
participation in 2013.
Example Output – Pathways West. Building on the
success of Unitec’s schools programme Pathways West
over the last investment period, Unitec is developing
new networks for vocational pathway provision in North
Shore, and in Kelston and Henderson. By working with
NZ Career College and seven West Auckland secondary
schools, Unitec has been able to give secondary school
students an engaging, exciting, and relevant education
that matches their future aspirations. All pathways
are designed to lead to further learning, employment,
or a mix of both. In Semester 1 2014, Pathways West
developed a programme of learning around health, which
allows students to connect what they learn at school
with a future career direction. Some of the learning has
occurred in the tertiary environment and some in the
workplace. Those successfully completing the programme
will gain NCEA Level 2 with a Vocational Pathways Award
in the Social and Community Services Sector.
Example Output ‒ Auckland West Vocational Academy.
Based at Massey High School, the Auckland West
Vocational Academy caters for students pursuing a
vocational pathway. Students gain NCEA credits and a
tertiary qualification for entry to further training or an
apprenticeship.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
27
Priority 3: Boosting Achievement of
Māori and Pasifika
The educational performance of Unitec’s Māori and
Pacific students has improved significantly since 2009.
In 2014, Māori student course completion is projected
to be up to 80%, while Pasifika course completion is
projected to be up to 75%, up from 76% and 72%
(respectively) in 2013.
The Ministry of Education’s Māori education strategy
Ka Hikitia aspires for Māori students to be culturally
comfortable and achieve educational parity with all
learners. Unitec continues to seek better pathways
for Māori and Pacific learners, including better career
advice upfront, more collaboration with schools and
employers, and better outcomes, including nonacademic achievements. This is outlined in Unitec’s
institution-wide Māori Success Strategy and Pacific
Success Strategy.
Initiatives such as the Auckland Māori and Pacific
Trades Initiative (AMPTI) have seen collaboration
between Unitec, MIT, and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa
and a number of community organisations to
recruit and support young Māori and Pasifika into
trades training and through to employment. Unitec
schools and kura kaupapa schools for career
discovery and to find out about Unitec and
tertiary study.
Māori
Improving Educational Outcomes.
In 2013, Unitec undertook an extensive review of
progress since the Māori Success Strategy was
launched in 2011. Although this is still a work in
progress, initial findings confirmed that Māori
student retention, completion, and success rates are
trending upwards. The report also highlighted the
collaborations that are taking place across Unitec to
ensure the Strategy is implemented successfully.
Responding to Government priorities such as Ka
Hikitia, Unitec is engaged in implementing a range of
strategies so that Māori can participate on a par with
other students in tertiary education. Initiatives such
as achieving the Mātauranga Māori Quality Assurance
Mark (MMEQA) for programmes at Unitec demonstrate
our commitment to improving outcomes for learners.
Unitec is further working on increasing participation
for Māori in high-income and high-demand
employment areas and working on collaborative
partnerships with iwi.
continues to focus on building best practice in equity
and diversity through some of these initiatives that
will continue over the next three years, including
the Intercultural Learning and Dialogue Programme
and the Ally Network and Equity, Diversity and
Inclusion Strategy. The goal of a recent guest lecture
programme, “Courageous Conversations about Race”,
was to embed cultural competence at Unitec. It also
served as an important tool to guide transformative
conversations in real organisational change in the
areas of "race" and cultural diversity.
Unitec has recently introduced a dedicated
engagement plan for Māori and Pacific students called
Connect Whā (four ways to connect with Unitec).
While this covers a full range of Unitec support for
Māori and Pacific students, there is a strong focus on
foundation education and education pathways. The
programme includes:
»» Māori and Pacific Trades Day
»» Info Evening – this whānau event includes a careers
session and support
»» Māori and Pacific speakers – guest speakers
for schools, using Unitec's staff, students, and
graduates
»» Paiaka – tertiary study discovery wānanga. This
is a two-day (live-in) wānanga for Unitec partner
Example Output – Poutama. Use of the Poutama, a tool
to analyse levels of mātauranga Māori content in Unitec’s
curriculum, was promoted throughout 2012 to show
where there are gaps in programmes. To further this
work, 2013 saw the formation of a Mātauranga Māori
Committee to help departments lift levels of engagement
with mātauranga Māori across all their courses.
Building on the Māori Success Strategy, all faculties and
directorates continue to identify what they are doing
and what they plan to do to better support Māori success.
That information is being provided to the Kāhui – the body
charged with monitoring the implementation of the Māori
Success Strategy. The monitoring information identifies
how faculties and directorates are currently contributing
to the achievement of the Māori Success Strategy, and
what they could do differently.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
28
Pasifika
Improving Educational Outcomes
Unitec is committed to improving its performance
to meet the needs of Pacific communities. This
includes improving Pacific student experiences,
increasing participation, completion, and progression
rates of Pacific students, and the development of
innovative programmes that meet the needs of Pacific
communities. The main driver for Unitec in this area is
for Pacific students to achieve educational parity with
all students by 2020.
To achieve this, the Unitec Pacific Centre continues to
provide services to integrate Pacific knowledge and
understanding across Unitec such as orientations to
Pacific students and their fanau at the beginning of
the year and various Fanau Evenings held throughout
the year. Academic support continues to be provided
through initiatives such as the Mentoring programme,
which saw a 91% success rate for the 30 students
who participated in Semester 1, 2014.
Example Output – Pasifika Best Practice Research. A
research project run by Dr Fotu Fisi’iahi collaboratively
with Whitireia Community Polytechnic and Massey
University was confirmed in March 2014. It will focus
on developing a portfolio of best practice in delivery to
Pacific students, with short-term outcomes of lifting
achievement rates and the long-term outcome of
achieving parity in achievement for Pasifika.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
29
Priority 4: Improving Adult Literacy
and Numeracy
Since 2013, Unitec has significantly reduced its
delivery of level 1 and 2 programmes following the
introduction of contestable funding. In response to
this change, Unitec is building capability to support
other training providers in central, west and north
Auckland to deliver level 1 and 2 programmes that
effectively pathway students into level 3 and above
programmes at Unitec. However, Unitec has retained
its unique provision in a number of level 1 and 2
Development course includes a number of necessary
skills including e-learning, time management, selfawareness, self-efficacy, confidence, and wider
community engagement, which is embedded in an
academic framework. Once the student successfully
engages in this course, confidence follows and the
opportunity to pathway into the next level occurs.
Unitec’s level 2 courses are a solid foundation for
transitioning to the next vocational level.
Literacy and Numeracy Capability
programmes, specifically those that support students
Unitec’s organisational commitment to embedding
with special needs. And it continues to have a smaller
literacy and numeracy at levels 1 and 2 is demonstrated
offering of level 2 programmes in Foundation Studies,
through organisational policy, ongoing curricula
Trades and English Language areas with direct
reviews, dedicated capability, targeted priority learner
pathways into higher-level Unitec programmes.
support, ongoing professional development, and
Foundation education is a core part of all Unitec
recruitment advertising and has had dedicated
campaigns that target priority groups across the
region. Unitec’s Bridgepoint (Foundation Education)
campaign has included advertising in local
newspapers, targeted radio stations, transit media,
performance monitoring and evaluation:
»» Unitec’s Academic Literacies Policy requires all
programmes to address the academic needs of
students, including foundational literacy, numeracy,
and language
»» Literacies for lifelong learning is one of the
and outdoor advertising (billboards, street posters).
characteristics of Unitec’s curriculum renewal
Unitec will continue to target level 1 and 2 learners
all level 1 and 2 programmes were rewritten in 2012.
through high levels of active engagement with
schools. This includes the provision of information and
study options for levels 1 and 2 across a number of
providers. Unitec works closely with schools to ensure
through the Living Curriculum initiative. As a result,
»» Unitec has 3.6 equivalent fulltime staff specialising
in literacy and numeracy. Academic literacy advisers
are employed in each of the three faculties to
promote and support literacy and numeracy
that students identified as suitable for foundation
embedding and capability development. These
education can access all relevant information.
staff are responsible for capability building and
This is in the form of brochures, group presentations,
one-on-one conversations, experiential activities
(taster programmes and campus tours), and
information evenings. Unitec currently runs 10
secondary school programmes, involving 61 secondary
schools and approximately 3,500 secondary students.
Progression
academic advice.
»» Targeted support for priority learners is also
provided through Student Wellbeing, Maia (Māori
Development), and the Pacific Centre. There is
increasing collaboration between teaching and
literacy staff, to supplement pastoral support with
academic support in literacy and numeracy through
these centres.
»» The National Certificate in Adult Literacy and
Bridgepoint’s online assessment centre facilitates
Numeracy Education (NCALNE) helps to ensure
the building of a Unitec pathway for a learner.
both new and existing staff are qualified in
Sitting alongside the Adult Literacy and Numeracy
teaching literacy and numeracy. Other professional
Assessment Tool (ALNAT), this assessment offers
development is offered on a programme or
an appropriate entry point into Unitec, based on an
initial score. Currently being used across Bridgepoint
departmental basis.
»» The use of the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults
(Foundation Education), Unitec looks to roll this out
Assessment Tool is supported through centralised
over further faculties and courses in 2015.
support. All students at levels 2 and 3 use the tool,
Unitec’s level 2 courses are developed to enable a
student to be a lifelong learner. The Academic Career
while many others at levels 4 and 5 choose to use it
as well.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
30
Assessment Tool Uptake and Gains
In Semester 1 2014, Unitec used the assessment tool
(both literacy and numeracy) as an initial diagnostic
with 92% of Youth Guarantee students and 74% of all
students across level 1 to 3 courses, including national
certificates. In 2013, the figures were 86% and 73%
respectively.2
Measuring literacy and numeracy gains for a
programme has shown mixed results. The academic
outcomes of a number of programmes which
embed reading and numeracy interventions are
closely monitored.
Since 2013, Unitec has adopted a multi-literacies
framework to inform literacies work at all levels and
has mapped this to the literacy strands developed
by the TEC. Multi-literacies is part of the induction
programme for teaching staff and forms part of
Unitec’s policy and guidelines for good teaching.
Future Activity
Despite changes to the embedding requirements,
Unitec is mindful of the literacy and numeracy
challenges faced by students and will continue to use
the assessment tool and embed literacy and numeracy
in its learning and teaching.
Programme design, development, and teaching
are all informed by the Living Curriculum, which
includes literacies for lifelong learning (incorporating
foundational literacies) as one of its characteristics. All
programmes have rewritten their definitive documents
in line with the Living Curriculum. Unitec is currently
evaluating teaching and assessment practices in all
programmes in light of the Living Curriculum, and
embedding literacy and numeracy is a requirement in
this evaluation for all level 1 to 3 programmes.
2
This decline is due to the change in the programmes and courses that are included in the assessment tool.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
31
Priority 5: Strengthening Researchbased Institutions
Research at Unitec refers to a wide variety of activities
that are conducted by both staff and students. Unitec
focuses on practically oriented and applied research
that has an impact on and adds value to industry, iwi,
and community in five main areas:
»» Research projects and activity
»» Knowledge and technology transfer
»» Postgraduate student research
»» Research consultancy and enterprise
»» Sector growth and collaboration.
The current Unitec Research Strategy focuses on two
key priorities:
»» Lifting the percentage of staff teaching on degree
programmes, who are engaged in research.
Measured by a 15% increase in research-active staff
members against 2013 levels
»» Building research initiatives and research funding
in partnership with industry, iwi, and community.
This priority further aligns with the TES priority 1
Delivering Skills for Industry.
In order to achieve the first priority, the Research
and Enterprise (R&E) Office is working closely with
the People and Culture team at Unitec to implement
individual planning and professional development for
staff and is investing in strategic recruitment training
for Department Heads. Responding to institutional
research engagement statistics, the R&E Office
has implemented a Research Development Plan in
Example Output – Centre for Computational Intelligence
and Cyber Security. Unitec’s Centre for Computational
Intelligence and Cyber Security was initiated, developed,
and is led by Professor Hossein Sarrafzadeh. It is based
in a partnership with National Institute of Information
and Communication Technology Japan (NICT), involving
research funding and exchange students with NICTsponsored scholarships. The project also includes Nara
Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) providing
funded short-term internships and staff exchanges as
well as a joint PhD programme. This collaboration has
led to a Callaghan Innovation Grant for a postgraduate
student to work on innovation research with Passage
Software Limited, an Auckland business software
solutions distributor, as well as a Ministry of Primary
Industries research grant of $130,000 involving a
doctorate student. It has provided the framework
for companies to make donations for scholarships,
equipment, and software, for example. This includes
Catch Software and Aura Information Security who have
donated to the centre in return for affiliation, access to
graduate students and the ability to participate in joint
research funding applications.
partnership with each low-performing programme,
to achieve clearly identified improvements through
to 2016.
Recent developments such as Collaboratively Led
Research (CLEAR) seek to have Unitec’s three faculty
research leaders work in a forum with the R&E Office
to facilitate collaborative research across the whole
of Unitec. This forum is initiating a suite of specialised
research professional development workshops, as
well as teaching integrated research funding designed
to extend and develop research projects that involve
Unitec students in a credit-bearing assignment or
project at Unitec.
Currently the majority of Unitec's External Research
Income (ERI) comes from interest-led research
projects. ERI for 2014 is on track to surpass that of
recent years – a trend that is likely to continue to
increase through 2015–16.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
32
Priority 6: Growing International
Linkages
Unitec’s internationalisation aspirations continue
to place international student enrolment within
a broader strategic context. Unitec seeks to be
recognised as an institution that values, promotes, and
supports cultural diversity while fostering intercultural
understanding. Teaching initiatives such as teambased learning equip international and domestic
students to work and live in increasingly complex and
interconnected worlds. International activity exposes
Unitec to certain risks such as changes in overseas and
domestic government policy regarding international
enrolments, fluctuations in the economic environment,
and other global market pressures. Work in this area is
ensure the international student population remains
at or above 17% of the total student body.
Unitec continues to look at other models of delivery
to international markets. This has included (in
partnership with other New Zealand and international
partners):
»» The establishment of offshore course delivery
to meet the need for New Zealand-quality
qualifications
»» The development of long-established exchange
programmes with universities in Asia, Europe,
and the USA
»» The development of joint venture programmes
with Chinese universities, which pathway
complex and ongoing.
Chinese students into Unitec degree and diploma
Unitec’s international enrolments represent 22% of
requisite study in China.
the total international student enrolments for the
New Zealand ITP sector. This is a position Unitec
has sustained since 2012. Between 2012 and 2013,
international EFTS taught at Unitec increased by 1%,
while international student EFTS now account for
17% of all Unitec enrolments. Income generated from
international student fees accounts for 16% of Unitec
programmes, once they have completed preEducational performance indicators for international
students will continue to reflect parity with all other
students. Strong student support systems, alongside
an institutional commitment to an inclusive campus,
will continue to assist international students at Unitec
to make a successful transition.
income, significantly higher than the 10% average
across all other New Zealand ITPs.
Over the last Investment Plan period, Unitec continued
to support strategic links with over 100 international
universities. This has included staff and student
exchanges, curriculum and course collaboration, the
development and delivery of offshore programmes,
and the development and delivery of courses in
response to international agencies’ requests, in
addition to the recruitment of students to study in
New Zealand.
China, India, and Saudi Arabia remain the primary
markets for Unitec’s international education offering,
sitting alongside initiatives to grow market share in
Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Germany. Maintaining the
diversity of the international student population is
a high priority for Unitec. Diverse market sources
reduce the risk exposure to changes in international
demand for export education, provide diversity within
the classroom, maintain a balance of national groups,
and foster internationalisation. In this Investment
Plan period, Unitec will continue to diversify the
ways it recruits and attracts international students
to increase market share, with an increased focus on
the use of innovations in social media and referrals
for international recruitment. Existing targets aim to
Example Output – Wuhan City Landscape Architecture.
Unitec has developed beneficial education relationships
with China through projects such as the Department
of Landscape Architecture providing training to local
government officials in Wuhan City. The customised
five-day professional training in landscape technologies
was aimed at designers, parks managers, and other
Wuhan City staff. The delivery was undertaken by
landscape design and landscape architecture lecturers
alongside special guest landscape architects and parks
staff from industry both from China (for the intermediate
modules) and New Zealand (for the advanced modules).
A relationship with New Zealand firm Boffa Miskell has
strengthened Unitec’s position as a lead player in this
market. Through these kinds of projects, Unitec is able
to build additional income streams and generate wider
economic and social benefits for New Zealand.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
33
Example Output – CMC India. Unitec has launched an
alliance programme with CMC India, the Postgraduate
Diploma in Construction Project Management, with 30
students in Hyderabad. This alliance is changing the
way people learn in India. It is being recognised as a
new model of learning, and has been observed by many
other institutes and employers as the way of the future.
Feedback so far has indicated that:
»» Students believe the programme is different, unique,
and develops their real world skills as they visit
construction sites as part of their learning journey
»» Employers commented that the CMC students were
more work-ready than students from other institutes
»» Some students received job offers before they had
graduated.
This alliance programme has now expanded to CMC’s
Pune, Delhi, and Chennai centres with more than 100
students enrolled. The Bangalore centre is also looking to
launch this programme.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
34
Performance Indicators
Unitec measures its performance against a range
The indicators selected in this section of the
of non-financial targets and measures. These are
Investment Plan provide a balanced understanding of
selected to reflect appropriate measures against the
performance around dimensions such as education
benefits (outputs and outcomes), resource allocations
service quality, quantity, timelines, achievement, the
(inputs), and quality dimensions. This is reported on
alignment to communities, and the aspirations and
annually in the Statement of Service Performance in
needs of those communities. Several of the indicators
the Unitec Annual Report.
are driven by external factors within the tertiary
Faculties and directorates are responsible for
identifying (and reporting against) performance
indicators at an “output” and “impact” level. They
do this as part of the regular planning and
performance cycle.
education sector, such as changing government
policies and the Performance Based Research Funding
(PBRF) rounds. Others are subject to wider pressures,
including unemployment rates and the local, national,
and global economies.
For the majority of performance areas, a target range
has been used. For each target range, the lower
indicator reflects the budgeted performance target,
with the higher number being a reflection of Unitec's
aspirations for each performance area.
Fig 10: Tertiary Education Sector Performance Framework & Relationship to Unitec’s Statement of Service Provision
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
35
Table 10: Organisational Performance Indicators
AREA
MEASURE
TES Priority
Alignment
2012
2013
2014 Est
2015 Target
2016 Target
2019 Target
(5 years)
Notes
Transition
into
education
Number of students with a prior
Getting at-risk
1,316
1,198
1,200-1,350
1,300-1,450
1,400-1,550
> 1,500
activity of "Non-employed or
young people into
beneficiary (excluding retired)"
a career.
Pathways
to higher
education
Students progressing from other
243
218
209
211-250
220-260
> 220
TEC Priority
Group
participation
Course participation – % of SAC-
Boosting
11%
11%
11%-16%
12%-17%
13%-18%
15%-20%
funded EFTS who are Māori
achievement of
of the demographics
Māori and Pasifika.
of the former
[NEET enrolments]
tertiary education providers (ITPs,
PTEs, and wānanga) to study at
levels 3 and above at Unitec
2019 target reflective
Waitākere City.
Course participation – % of
Boosting
17%
17%
17% - 18%
18% - 19%
19%-20%
20%-25%
SAC-funded EFTS who are Pacific
achievement of
2019 target reflective
of the demographics
peoples
Māori and Pasifika.
of the former
Course participation – % of SAC-
Getting at-risk
funded EFTS who are under 25
young people into
of the demographics
years of age
a career.
of the former
Waitākere City.
57%
59%
60% - 65%
62% - 67%
64% - 69%
65% - 70%
2019 target reflective
Waitākere City.
Educational
performance
Successful course completion rate
81%
82%
82% - 86%
82% - 86%
82% - 86%
> 86%
64%
65%
65% - 70%
65% - 70%
66% - 71%
68% - 73%
69%
72%
72% - 77%
72% - 78%
72% - 80%
77% - 82%
51%
56%
56% - 61%
56% - 62%
56% - 64%
56% - 66%
75%
76%
75% - 80%
76% - 81%
77% - 82%
80% – 86%
for all SAC-funded students
EPI: Qualification completions—all
SAC-funded students
EPI: Students retained In Study—all
SAC-funded students
EPI: Progression (Levels 1-3)-all
Getting at-risk
SAC-funded students
young people into
a career.
Learning
outcomes for
TEC Priority
Groups
Successful course completion rate
Boosting
for all SAC-funded Māori students
achievement of
Parity with all
students.
Māori and Pasifika.
Successful course completion rate
Boosting
for all SAC-funded Pacific students
achievement of
69%
72%
72% - 75%
73% - 78%
75% - 80%
80% - 86%
Parity with all
students.
Māori and Pasifika.
Successful course completion rate
77%
79%
79% - 83%
80% - 86%
80% - 86%
80% - 86%
for all SAC-funded students who
Parity with all
students.
are under 25
EPI: Students retained in study- all
Boosting
SAC-funded Māori students
achievement of
60%
66%
66% - 70%
68% - 73%
71% - 76%
77% - 82%
Parity with all
students.
Māori and Pasifika.
EPI: Students retained in study-all
Boosting
SAC-funded Pacific students
achievement of
62%
62%
62% - 70%
68% - 73%
71% - 76%
77% - 82%
Parity with all
students.
Māori and Pasifika.
EPI: Students retained in study- all
70%
72%
72% - 75%
72% - 77%
74% - 79%
77% - 82%
SAC-funded students who are
Parity with all
students.
under 25
EPI: Progression (Levels 1-3) – all
Boosting
SAC-funded Māori students
achievement of
58%
70%
70% - 75%
70% - 75%
70% - 75%
> 70%
At least parity with all
students.
Māori and Pasifika.
EPI: Progression (Levels 1-3) – all
Boosting
SAC-funded Pacific students
achievement of
70%
73%
73% - 78%
73% - 78%
73% - 78%
> 73%
At least parity with all
students.
Māori and Pasifika.
Matching
skills supply
and demand
EPI: Progression (Levels 1-3) – all
Getting at-risk
SAC-funded students who are
young people into
under 25
a career (stretch).
Relevance of qualification to
Delivering skills for
graduate employment (% of
industry.
62%
66%
66% - 70%
66% - 70%
66% - 70%
> 66%
At least parity with all
students.
74%
72%
72%
75% - 80%
75% - 80%
80% - 85%
82%
82%
85% -90%
87% - 93%
90% - 95%
90% - 95%
355
398
408
418
428
457
graduates who stated their
qualification was highly or
moderately related to their job)
Transition to
employment
Graduates employed, studying or
Delivering skills for
combining both
industry.
Research
Quality-assured research outputs
Strengthening
'increased level of research output
research-based
represents a 15%
and impact'
institutions.
increase in QA
This target
outputs based on
2013 figures over the
next five years.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
36
Key to Performance Measures
and Notes
Course Participation
Transition into Education
by students who are under the age of 25, or
Percentage of total SAC-funded EFTS consumed
The number of students who are recorded in the
Single Data Return as having a prior activity of “not
identify as Māori or Pasifika. These groups are
not mutually exclusive.
employed or beneficiary (excluding retired)” as of
Unitec has strategies in place to lift participation
1 October the previous year.
for priority learners, particularly around targeted
The Unitec Investment Plan 2013–2015 projected
an increase in NEET enrolments over the Investment
Plan period to more than 1,500 in 2019. Actual NEET
numbers increased in 2012, but then declined in 2013
as Unitec’s overall enrolment numbers also declined.
Unitec is anticipating an increase in NEET enrolments
over the Investment Plan period. At the same time,
Unitec is working with partner schools and other TEOs
to help young people to pathway from secondary
education into ITPs, PTEs or industry training, rather
than to drop out of education.
marketing and recruitment. These include the
Pathways West programme, and marketing and
sponsorship of Māori TV’s flagship programme Code,
providing opportunities for Unitec to deliver tailored
tactical messages to a significant (but not exclusively)
Māori audience.
Course Completion
Percentage of SAC-funded course enrolment EFTS
that successfully complete ("pass") a course.
Unitec has made substantial improvements in
successful course completion over the last three years,
Pathways to Higher Education
improving significantly against the sector median.
The number of students in the Single Data Return
While institutional improvement over the Investment
who are new to Unitec, studying at level 3 or above,
Plan period will be slight, attention will be focused
and have a prior activity of “Institute of Technology or
on departmental and programme "hotspots", such as
Polytechnic student”, “Private Training Establishment
Māori in Creative Industries and Business.
student”, or “Wānanga student” as of 1 October of the
Qualification Completion
previous year.
The move to contestable funding for level 1 and 2
programmes has led to a decline in provision at these
levels at Unitec. This is a trend that other ITPs are
also experiencing, and is reflected in the decline
in students progressing from other ITPs to Unitec.
Conversely, this change is likely to see a significant
increase in the number of students progressing from
PTEs to Unitec at levels 3 and above. The number of
students progressing from wānanga to Unitec over
this period is negligible, and is likely to remain so.
As Youth Guarantee policy initiatives and NCEA
achievement targets for schools take hold, Unitec
expects to see this particular indicator become
progressively less relevant over time.
SAC-funded EFTS-weighted qualifications completed
as a percentage of total SAC EFTS enrolled in a
calendar year.
Unitec’s EFTS-weighted qualification completion rate
has been below the sector median since the measure’s
introduction in 2008. This is a reflection on Unitec’s
mix of provision; a comparably high proportion of
students studying at or above degree level (compared
to the wider ITP sector), coupled with a significant
part-time student cohort. This is likely to be further
affected by Unitec’s move away from level 1 and 2
programmes. However, the declining enrolment
intake will probably improve Unitec’s qualification
completion rate in the short term, albeit artificially. As
the numerator (the number of completed qualification
Table 11. Historic progression figures for students from
other tertiary education providers into level 3 or above
EFTS) increases or stays the same, the denominator
(the number of EFTS enrolled) declines.
programmes at Unitec.
2012
2013
2014
Other ITPs
145
115
91
PTEs
80
87
101
Wānanga
18
16
17
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
37
Progression
Research
Percentage of students who complete a level 1–3
Quality-assured research outputs "increased level of
qualification at Unitec and subsequently enrol in
research output and impact".
a higher-level qualification the following year (not
necessarily at Unitec).
Historically, the timing of the PBRF has caused a
cyclical effect in outputs. This cycle usually results in a
Unitec is unable to generate or validate the enrolment
significant jump in outputs in the year before a PBRF
of students in programmes offered by other tertiary
assessment (2018 is the next assessment, with a jump
education providers. The purpose of pathway
expected in 2017); however, outputs do not decrease
programmes (levels 1–3) at Unitec is to gain admission
to such an extent that target progression is affected.
and succeed in higher-level programmes. Completion
Improvements in the research planning processes are
of a level 1–3 pathway programme is not encouraged
likely to dampen the cyclical effect of the PBRF.
as a measure of success. Once again, the decline in
level 1 and 2 programme provision is likely to cause
volatility in this measure.
Relevance of Qualification
Percentage of graduate survey respondents who
stated that their job was relevant or somewhat
relevant to their qualification.
This measure is subject to a significant lag effect – any
changes in recruitment or enrolment may take several
years to flow through into this measure.
Graduates Employed, Studying, or Both
Percentage of graduate survey respondents who are
employed at the time of the survey.
This measure is closely tied to the state of the
economy and the unemployment rate. Graduate
employment is also programme-sensitive – for
example, Unitec's Bachelor of Nursing had the
highest employment rate of the five nursing schools
in the Auckland region for the November 2013
graduating cohort.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
38
Financial Performance
The previous Investment Plan outlined how Unitec had
Total Revenue ($'000)
moved from an institution with structural, financial, and
resourcing challenges, to become a high-performing
institute of technology during the 2008–12 period. As
the New Zealand economy adapts to a post-recession
world, Unitec is also adapting according to the changed
education landscape. Having grown significantly from
2008 to 2012, Unitec’s enrolment figures have declined
year-on-year since 2012. Structural changes in our
business implemented since 2008 have helped Unitec
create the common components of the strategies and
2013 Actual
2014 forecast
2015 Estimate
integration necessary to take the organisation to the
Fig 11: Projected Revenue 2014-17
$158,933
$156,584
being progressed, with work streams established to
$153,725
Unitec’s whole-of-organisation transformation is
$150,970
$146,898
to weather the downturn.
2016 Estimate
2017 Estimate
desired future state. The output of this process will
Projections
contribute and inform the Transformation Business
Case. Financial modelling undertaken will conclude
The financial projections and associated targets have
in early September 2014 and this will help clarify
been prepared consistent with current accounting
the impact on Unitec’s short- and long-term
policies and procedures that will be used for the
financial position.
preparation of the Annual Financial Statements. The
major accounting policies are disclosed in the latest
To support this transformation, Unitec's Technology
Unitec Annual Report.
Strategy has been developed to shift its investment
in technology from a tool to support operational
The current financial projections are prepared
activities to operating in an area that will enable
independently of the Transformation Business Case
Unitec to grow. To achieve this, the Technology
and will indeed be superseded by this. As a result,
Strategy is supported by a three-year road map, which
actual outcomes may vary significantly
centres on collaboration, investment in technology,
from projections.
and improving business process performance.
Table 12: Financial Performance Indicators
Key Indicators
Key Indicators Definition
2013 Actual
2014 Forecast
2015 Estimate
2016 Estimate
2017 Estimate
Net Surplus/
Average Equity (%)
Current Year Net Surplus /
Avg (Current Year Equity +
Previous Year Equity)
0.9%
1.7%
1.9%
1.9%
1.9%
Gearing (%) / Net
Debt to Equity (%)
Net Debt / Equity
1.1%
4.5%
17.0%
20.2%
0.4%
Total Revenue
($,000)
Total Revenue
146,898
150,970
153,725
156,584
158,933
Total Cash
Expenditure ($,000)
Total Expenditure - Depn
- Interest
142,525
132,541
133,621
136,185
137,171
EBITDA ($,000)
EBITDA
14,162
18,429
20,104
20,399
21,762
Depreciation
($,000)
Depreciation
12,824
14,413
14,838
14,838
15,798
Interest ($,000)
Interest paid / (received)
-582
-86
583
820
1,152
Net Surplus ($,000)
Net Surplus
1,920
4,102
4,683
4,741
4,812
Net Cash (Debt)
($,000)
Total Cash - Total Debt
5,026
-5,923
-37
-354
-320
EFTS : Total FTE
Total EFTS / Total FTE
8.5
8.5
8.5
8.5
8.4
As reported to the TEC in the May Tertiary Education Institution Financial Performance Monitoring return, which will be superseded
by the Transformation Business Case.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
39
Domestic SAC (Government Funding)
Revenue
Unitec also has further developments in the pipeline;
when brought to market, these would be added to the
Revenue is based on indicative SAC funding and the
number of EFTS allocated.
top slice.
The total EFTS in each group is outlined in
Based on EFTS performance since 2012, Unitec is
projecting a decline in EFTS in the 2015-16 Investment
Plan round. At the same time, Unitec is planning on
table 13 below.
Other Revenue
delivering a number of new programmes that could
Other revenue includes domestic student fees, project
account for some small EFTS growth in 2015 and 2016.
income, rent received, and interest income.
Unitec’s SAC-funded EFTS in the 2015-16 Investment
Unitec envisages that we will see continued growth
Plan period will be treated as two distinct groups:
overall in this category as we invest in business
1. Baseline EFTS: EFTS from well-established and
well-performing programmes. These programmes
are core programmes, which Unitec has delivered
for many years. The EFTS will be subject to the
99%–105% tolerance band. The total Baseline
EFTS projection is based on historic performance
and anticipated demand.
2. Top Slice EFTS: EFTS from new programmes,
which Unitec is due to deliver for the first time in
2015. These programmes are Unitec’s response
development and grow our industry connections
Table 15: Key assumptions – other revenue
Key
Assumptions
2013
Actual
2014
Estimate
2015
Estimate
2016
Estimate
2017
Estimate
Revenue–
Government
no
change
no change
no change
no change
no change
Revenue–Other
2.0%
2.0%
2.0%
2.0%
2.2%
CPI Inflation
0.9%
1.5%
1.8%
2.5%
2.3%
Salaries and
Wages
1.0%
1.0%
2.2%
2.8%
3.3%
Unemployment
6.0%
6.0%
5.9%
5.5%
5.2%
TWI
77.9
75.9-77.0
77.0-76.1
76.1-73.5
73.5-69.2
90 day bank bill
2.7%
2.7%
3.6%
4.3%
4.8%
10 year bond
rate
4.7%
4.2%
4.6%
4.9%
5.2%
to industry demands and skills shortages, with
a conservative EFTS figure based on anticipated
market demand. The EFTS will be ring-fenced, in
recognition of the nature of the programmes and
that there is likely to be some variability as these
programmes are bedded in. These are not subject
to the 99%–105% tolerance band; if Unitec were
to drop below or achieve above these projected
figures, funding would be provided for the actual
SAC dollars.
Table 13: Total EFTS by group
2013 year-end EFTS
2014 year-end EFTS projected
2015 EFTS projected
2016 EFTS projected
7,859
7,712.5
126 (Level 1-2 baseline)
6,970 (Level 3+ baseline)
499 (top slice)
126 (Level 1-2 baseline)
6,970 (Level 3+ baseline)
573 (top slice)
7,594 (total)
7,669 (total)
Table 14: Funding scenario for 2015–16
Baseline
Top Slice*
Level 1-2 SAC
Level 3 + SAC
EFTS
$
EFTS
$
Baseline
EFTS
126
$936,402
6,970
$62,196,314
7,096
Grand Total
EFTS
$
EFTS
$
499
$5,059,885
7,594
$68,192,600
Baseline ($)
$63,132,716
* Top Slice subject to TEC approval
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
40
Staff Costs
Staff costs include the wage or salary cost of an
employee plus associated costs such as KiwiSaver,
training, and recruitment.
During the annual budget process Unitec stipulates
the number of employees required by each
department. We continue to monitor and manage
staff costs by investigating variances to budget and
reviewing the student-to-staff ratio (SSR).
Unitec factors in to staff costs potential salary
negotiations for employees who are part of a collective
agreement or on an individual employment agreement.
Other Costs
Unitec considers the impact of inflation over time and
an estimate made over the period of the Investment
Plan. However, cost control is tightly maintained and
previously identified procurement savings continue to
be realised.
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
41
Glossary
ALNAT
Adult Literacy and Numeracy Assessment Tool
AMPTI
Auckland Māori and Pacific Trades Initiative
AUT
Auckland University of Technology
Āwhina Health Campus
Joint campus between Waitemata District Health Board and Unitec
C&I Construction and Infrastructure
DHB
District Health Board
ESOL
English for Speakers of Other Languages
EFTS
Equivalent Full-Time Tertiary Students
EPI Environmental Performance Indicators
ERI External Research Income
Fono Faufautua
Standing Committee of Unitec Council
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GAAP
Generally accepted accounting practice
ICT Information Communication Technology
ITO Industry Training Organisation
ITP Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics
MBIE
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
MIT Manukau Institute of Technology
MMEQA Mātauranga Māori Quality Assurance Mark
MPI Ministry of Primary Industries
NCEA
National Certificate of Educational Achievement
NEET
Not in Education, Employment or Training
NZQA
New Zealand Qualifications Authority
PBRF
Performance Based Research Fund
PTEs
Private Training Enterprises
SSR Student : Staff Ratio
SHS Faculty of Social and Health Sciences
SAC (The Government's contribution to the direct costs of teaching, learning, and other costs
driven by learner numbers)
R&E
Research and Enterprise
TBE Faculty of Technology and Built Environment
TEC Tertiary Education Commission
TEO/I
Tertiary Education Organisation/Institution
TES Tertiary Education Strategy
Te Noho Kotahitanga
Unitec’s Marae
Te Rūnanga
Conduit between Unitec and mana whenua, mata waka in Tāmaki
WDHB
Waitemata District Health Board
Student Achievement Component fund
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
42
Bibliography
Auckland Council (2011) Draft Economic Development Strategy
(available at http://eds.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz).
Auckland Council (2012) The Auckland Plan
(available at http://theplan.theaucklandplan.govt.nz).
Auckland Council (2013) The Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan (notified 30 September 2013)
(available at http://unitaryplan.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/Pages/Plan/Book.aspx).
Auckland Council (2014) Auckland Economic Quarterly April 2014
(available at http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/planspoliciesprojects/plansstrategies/
theaucklandplan/economicdevelopmentstrategy/Documents/economicquarterly2014april.pdf).
COMET (2012) Education Snapshots
(available at http://www.cometauckland.org.nz/wawcs0162148/Snapshots.html).
Infometrics (2014) Active Profile Links
(available at http://www.infometrics.co.nz/regional/profileLinks.aspx).
Ministry of Education (2012) The Māori Education Strategy: Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013–2017
(available at http://www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistry/PolicyandStrategy/KaHikitia.aspx).
Ministry of Education (2012b) Youth Guarantee
(available at http://www.youthguarantee.net.nz)
Ministry of Education (2013) Tertiary Education Strategy 2014–2019
(available at http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/TertiaryEducation/
PolicyAndStrategy/TertiaryEducationStrategy2014-2019.aspx).
State Services Commission (2014) Better Public Services: Results for New Zealanders
(available at http://www.ssc.govt.nz/bps-results-for-nzers).
Statistics New Zealand (2014) Detailed Industry by Region for Geographic Units, 2000–2013,
Statistics New Zealand: Wellington.
Unitec (2011) Unitec’s Māori Success Strategy (Internal publication).
Unitec (2012) Unitec Investment Plan 2013–2015, Unitec: Auckland.
Unitec (2013) The Māori Success Strategy 2011–June 2013 (Internal publication).
Unitec (2014a) Student Services at Unitec, a Blueprint for 2017 (Internal publication).
Unitec (2014b) Unitec’s Long-term Vision
(available at http://www.unitec.ac.nz/futurecampus/).
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
43
Sub-contracting Register
Qualification
SDR Code
Qualification
Level
Name of Qualification
Credit Value
of
Qualification
Regional
Location of
Delivery
Arrangement
Type
Approved
by ITPQ/
NZQA
Approved
by TEC
Skills Update
Training
Institute
Contract for
Service
Yes
Yes
Contractor
Name
Department of Management and Marketing
NC0994
3
National Certificate in
Retail
60
Auckland
Department of Computing
CA2385
5
Certificate in Computer
Servicing
63
Auckland
NZ School of
Education
Sub-contract
for Service
Yes
Yes
NC5213
3
National Certificate in
Computing
46
Auckland
NZ School of
Education
Sub-contract
for Service
Yes
Yes
ND5340
5
National Diploma in
Computing
122
Auckland
NZ School of
Education
Sub-contract
for Service
Yes
Yes
CA2389
6
Certificate in Network
Administration and
Security
80
Auckland
NZ School of
Education
Sub-contract
for Service
Yes
Yes
North TEC
Sub-contract
for Service
Yes
Yes
Site Safe
Sub-contract
for Service
Yes
Yes
Auckland
Taratahi
Agricultural
Training
Centre
Contract for
Service
Yes
Pending
Auckland
Animation
College
of New
Zealand
Limited
Contract for
Service
Pending
Yes
Auckland
Animation
College
of New
Zealand
Limited
Contract for
Service
Pending
Yes
Auckland
Animation
College
of New
Zealand
Limited
Contract for
Service
Pending
Yes
Department of Natural Sciences
CA2359
7
Bachelor of Applied
Science
360
Whangarei
Department of Building Technology
CA2332
3
Certificate in
Construction Site Safety
40
Auckland
Forthcoming Sub-contracts
PC1424
Pending
Pending
Pending
3
Certificate in General
Farm Skills
6
Diploma in Applied
Animation 2D
6
Diploma in Applied
Animation 3D
7
Diploma in Digital Media
40
243
243
122
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
44
Stakeholder Plan – Institute Level Partnerships
Stakeholder
Action Plan
Key Issues
Current State
Assessment
Frequency of
Engagement
Responsibility
Institute Level Partnerships
Tertiary Education
Commission
Education and financial
performance
Collaboration
As required - regular
Chief Executive Officer;
Executive Director,
Organisational Development;
Director, Pacific Student and
Community
Metro Institutes of
Technology and Polytechnics
Sector cohesion and
development
Partnership
Quarterly
Chief Executive Officer
Elected representatives
(politicians)
Strategic direction
Networking
As required - sporadic
Chief Executive Officer
Vice chancellors
Sector cohesion and
development
Networking
As required - sporadic
Chief Executive Officer
Other Institutes
of Technology and
Polytechnics, Chief
Executive Officers
Sector cohesion and
development
Collaboration
Quarterly
Chief Executive Officer
Industry leaders
Strategic direction, alignment
of provision, identification of
partnership opportunities
Cooperation
As required
Chief Executive Officer
New Zealand Qualifications
Authority
Education performance
Collaboration
As required - regular
Executive Director, Academic
Development
Ako Aotearoa
Education performance
Collaboration
As required - regular
Executive Director, Academic
Development; Director, Pacific
Student & Community
Ministry of Education
Education performance
Cooperation
Annually (at least); as required
Executive Director, Academic
Development
Ministry of Business,
Innovation and Employment
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Cooperation
Annually (at least); as required
– sporadic
Executive Deans
Ministry of Health, District
Health Boards
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Partnership
Quarterly
Executive Dean. Social and
Health Sciences
Ministry of Social
Development, Ministry of
Youth Development, Careers
New Zealand
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need, student service
Collaboration
Quarterly
Executive Director, Academic
Development; Director,
Student Wellbeing
Ministry of Justice
Programme development,
understanding need
Networking
Annually (at least); as required
Executive Director, Academic
Development
Department of Labour
Strategic direction, programme
development
Networking
Annually (at least); as required
– sporadic
Executive Director, Academic
Development
Department of Internal
Affairs
Student service
Cooperation
Quarterly
Executive Director, Academic
Development; Director Student
Services
Auckland Council
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Partnership
Quarterly
Chief Executive Officer;
Chief Financial Officer;
Executive Director, Academic
Development; Executive
Deans; Heads of Department
Auckland Tourism Events
and Development Ltd
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Collaboration
Quarterly
Executive Director, Business
Development; Executive
Deans; Heads of Department
Auckland Tertiary Education
Network
Sector cohesion and
development, understanding
need
Collaboration
Quarterly
General Manager, Governance
and External Relations
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
45
Stakeholder Plan – Institute Level Partnerships – continued
Stakeholder
Action Plan
Key Issues
Current State
Assessment
Frequency of
Engagement
Responsibility
Institute Level Partnerships
Local boards
Strategic direction,
understanding need
Cooperation
Manager, Partnerships and
Community Engagement
Community organisations in
the west of Auckland
Strategic direction,
understanding need
Collaboration
Manager, Partnerships and
Community Engagement
Auckland Refugee and
Migrant Services
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Networking
Manager, Partnerships and
Community Engagement
Rotary International
Education delivery, programme
development
Cooperation
Manager, Partnerships and
Community Engagement;
Heads of Department
New Zealand Green Building
Council
Strategic direction,
understanding need
Co-operation (leading to
collaboration)
Executive Deans
Manukau Institute of
Technology
Sector cohesion and
development, education
delivery, programme
development, pathways
Partnership
Executive Director, Academic
Development; Executive Dean
Auckland University of
Technology and Massey
University
Sector cohesion and
development, education
delivery, programme
development, pathways
Collaboration
Executive Director, Academic
Development; Executive Dean
University of Auckland
Sector cohesion and
development
Networking
Executive Director, Academic
Development; Executive Dean
International institution
partnerships
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need, pathways
Partnership
Director, International;
Executive Deans; Heads of
Department
Partner schools
Partnerships, pathways and
career progression
Partnership
Executive Director, Marketing
and Communications
Partner school principals
Partnerships, educational
pathways, join projects and
academic alignment
Collaboration
Chief Executive Officer
Schools in the northwest
catchment
Sector cohesion and
development, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need, pathways
Collaboration
Director, Customer Journey;
Heads of Department
Other training providers
that pathway into Unitec
programmes, or provide
programmes where there
is an identified need and
Unitec does not have this
provision
Sector cohesion and
development, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need, pathways
Cooperation
Executive Deans; Director,
Pacific Student and
Community; Heads of
Department
Employers and
Manufacturers Association
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Cooperation
Annually (at least); as required
– sporadic
Chief Executive Officer;
Executive Deans
Chamber of Commerce
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Cooperation
Annually (at least); as required
– sporadic
Chief Executive Officer;
Executive Deans
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
46
Stakeholder Plan – Institute Level Partnerships – continued
Stakeholder
Action Plan
Key Issues
Current State
Assessment
Frequency of
Engagement
Responsibility
Institute Level Partnerships
Equal Employment
Opportunities Trust
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Cooperation
Annually (at least); as required
– sporadic
Executive Director,
Organisational Development
Business associations
Identification of partnership
opportunities
Partnership
Weekly: as required
Chief Executive; Executive
Deans; Business Development
Managers
Tertiary Institutes Allied
Staff Association
Staff engagement, education
and financial performance
Collaboration
Quarterly; as required – regular
Executive Director,
Organisational Development
Tertiary Education Union
Staff engagement, education
and financial performance
Collaboration
Quarterly; as required – regular
Executive Director, Organisational Development
Student Representative
(National and Local)
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Partnership
Quarterly; as required – regular
Executive Director, Student
and Community; Executive
Deans
Graduates
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Cooperation
Annually
Director, Insights and Planning
Ngāti Whātua
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need, pathways, education and
financial performance
Partnership
Quarterly; as required – regular
Rūnanga; Director, Māori
Student and Community
Kawarau ā Maki
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need, pathways, education and
financial performance
Cooperation
Annually (at least); as required
– sporadic
Rūnanga; Director, Māori
Student and Community
Wānanga (Aotearoa and
Awanuiārangi)
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need, pathways
Partnership
Quarterly; as required – regular
Rūnanga; Director, Māori
Student and Community;
Heads of Department
Hoani Waititi (marae and
kura)
Strategic direction,
understanding need, pathways
Collaboration
Quarterly; as required – regular
Rūnanga; Director, Māori
Student and Community
Te Whānau o Waipareira
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need, pathways
Cooperation
Annually (at least); as required
– sporadic
Rūnanga; Director, Māori
Student and Community
Te Puni Kōkiri
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Collaboration
Annually (at least); as required
– sporadic
Rūnanga; Director, Māori
Student and Community
Māori Economic
Development Agencies
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Cooperation
Annually (at least); as required
– sporadic
Rūnanga; Director, Māori
Student and Community
Ministry of Pacific Island
Affairs
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Collaboration
Annually (at least); as required
– sporadic
Fono; Director, Pacific Student
and Community
Pasifika Economic
Development Agencies
Strategic direction, education
delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Collaboration
Annually (at least); as required
– sporadic
Fono; Director, Pacific Student
and Community
New Zealand Navy
Education delivery, programme
development, understanding
need
Networking
As required – sporadic
Executive Director, Technology
and Built Environment
Auckland Digital Forum
Strategic direction,
understanding need
Cooperation
Quarterly (at least); as required
– sporadic
Director, Campus Development
New Zealand Police
Education delivery, programme
development
Networking; as required –
sporadic
Director, Pacific Student and
Community
Unitec Investment Plan 2015-2016
47
phone +64 9 815 4321 Extn. 7802
fax +64 9 815 4554
web www.unitec.ac.nz
address Private Bag 92025
Victoria St West
Auckland 1142
New Zealand
Mt Albert campus
139 Carrington Rd
Mt Albert
Auckland 1025
Northern campus
10 Rothwell Ave
Albany
Auckland 0632
Waitākere campus
5-7 Ratanui St
Henderson
Auckland 0612