A dramatic fall in enrolments and high compliance costs are to blame for the suspension of free courses for struggling students across the South Island.
Community Colleges New Zealand (Comcol) has offered free training and qualifications for teenagers for 40 years but from January the Youth Guarantee programme is being suspended “due to multiple reasons”.
The decision will result in 25 job losses.
The charitable training establishment provides practical courses in hospitality, salon and retail, equine, sport and recreation and customer services and has helped thousands of young people achieve qualifications.
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In 2001, it had about 700 students, but that has fallen to 120 across its five colleges in Blenheim, Rangiora, Timaru, Dunedin and Invercargill.
“That level of students across the entire organisation is simply not sustainable,” chief executive Doug Reid said.
“Our student enrolment numbers continue to decline. Our staff to student ratio operates at 1:6. Other providers operate from 1:18, up to 1:30.”
Reid said it was unlikely they “will be able to substantially increase the number of students”.
“It has become clear to us that continuing to provide Youth Guarantee is not sustainable.
“We have considered options such as combining with other service providers, or with polytechs to try and make Youth Guarantee viable. We have not been able to identify any viable options.”
Other factors were that more students are staying at secondary school for longer, unemployment is low and trade apprenticeships are incentivised, he said.
Employees were consulted in late October and early November and redundancy notices were issued to six staff in Otago, six in South Canterbury, four in North Canterbury, five in Marlborough and four in the central service centre in Rangiora.
“There are two remodelled positions yet to be finalised and two on short extensions,” Reid said.
“This means I expect there will be 21 to 23 staff leaving the College in December and the last two in early 2022.”
Staff who deliver the Ministry of Social Development-funded youth service are not affected, and youth coaches will continue to work with people aged 16 to 19 years who are not in education, work, employment and/or are young parents.
“There is an overwhelming sense of commitment from our staff towards the young people they work with, focusing on their qualifications’ achievement and wellbeing, however at the same time a general understanding and acceptance of the situation,” Reid said.
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