TEC staff face sack, says MP

The entire South Island staff of the Tertiary Education Commission are expected to lose their jobs this week, to be replaced by a call centre in South Auckland, a Labour MP said yesterday.

Christchurch Central MP Brendon Burns said after less than three weeks' consultation the 14 staff, most of them based in Christchurch, expected to be told on Thursday that their jobs were among about 70 being axed at the commission.

"Most of the TEC staff in Christchurch, Nelson and Dunedin are frontline, working to ensure taxpayers get good value for the money provided to private tertiary providers and schools with job training and language courses," he said.

"These organisations are all funded for their student numbers via the TEC and engage with the South Island staff.

"The service and scrutiny will now be replaced by a call centre in South Auckland."

The TEC, which oversees and allocates funds for tertiary institutions, announced this month it proposed cutting 76 positions, reducing its total staff to about 292. It said the proposed restructuring would also create 24 new positions.

TEC chief executive Roy Sharp told a parliamentary committee last week that despite the job cuts, the commission would still be able to do everything it was meant to do.

He said it was moving towards using modern technologies to replace some face-to-face contacts. Telecommunications, video communications and offices in Auckland and Wellington would be used to centralise staff.

Mr Sharp said the changes were cost-effective and final decisions would be made on Thursday.

- NZPA