The final stamp of approval has been given to the merger of the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) and Gisborne's Tairawhiti Polytechnic.
The two organisations will merge from January 1 next year.
Minister of Tertiary Education Steven Joyce said the new institution, which would be one of New Zealand's largest, was an exciting opportunity for Hawke's Bay and Gisborne.
"The merger will create one institution with a strong base to support and expand vocational education and skills development across the East Coast," he said.
"It will result in the delivery of higher level qualifications in the Tairawhiti region, which will bring economic and social benefits for the community."
The merger would take advantage of the academic and financial strength of EIT and result in a strong tertiary education provider well-placed to serve the needs of both Tairawhiti and Hawke's Bay, he said.
EIT chief executive Chris Collins was pleased the merger was confirmed and that EIT had been chosen from the four institutions that had a merger proposal to Tairawhiti.
"We put our hand up because we are neighbours and there are a lot of synergies between the two institutions," he said.
Tairawhiti chief executive Judy Campbell said EIT was the only institution offering a partnership proposal.
"Many of the larger institutions implied we would be swallowed up and that is not in the best interests of our community," she said.
As a result of the merger, seven additional EIT programmes would be offered at Tairawhiti in February: Bachelor of Applied Social Sciences, Bachelor of Arts (Maori), Bachelor of Nursing (with EIT taking over from UCOL), Diploma in Mental Health, Certificate in Fashion Apparel, Certificate in Health and Fitness and Certificate in Tourism and Travel.
Six senior administrative positions, including her own, would be disestablished, Ms Campbell said.
EIT had 3200 equivalent full-time students while Tairawhiti Polytechnic had approximately 1000. The combined roll would make the organisation one of the largest institutes of technology in the country, serving Gisborne, Wairoa, Hastings and Napier, plus the surrounding areas from Hicks Bay to Dannevirke.
Mr Collins said the merger was a logical next step in the steady growth of EIT, which started as Hawke's Bay Community College in 1974 and became Hawke's Bay Polytechnic in 1986. The Eastern Institute of Technology was created in 1996, offering its first undergraduate degree that year and first Master's degree in 2002.
The Eastern Institute of Technology name would remain and be used in Tairawhiti, while at the same time the community would be consulted about what to call the Tairawhiti campus.
All Tairawhiti students would still be able to enrol in Gisborne, but would be registered as students of EIT.
"We look forward to welcoming all these students into our institution," Mr Collins said.
"There are many great things about Tairawhiti Polytechnic, and it is our hope to learn from these, build on them and continue the process of developing an outstanding tertiary education institution serving the regions of Hawke's Bay and Tairawhiti."
Following Cabinet's recommendation, the Governor General's agreement is required to disestablish Tairawhiti Polytechnic. Government investment of up to $7.5 million would support the merger and EIT would be required to regularly report on the progress over the next two years.
EIT and Tairawhiti Polytech become one
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