Enrolments waver in 2010

Tauranga tertiary institutes have experienced another rise in enrolment numbers, but the increases are less steep when compared with 2009.
Bethlehem Tertiary Institute’s enrolments in semester one last year increased by 50 per cent, but in semester one, 2010, is only up nine per cent.

University of Waikato in Tauranga is up 17 per cent this year, compared to 39 per cent in 2009.
Bay of Plenty Polytechnic is steadier, however, with an increase of nine per cent for this year’s semester one enrolments compared with 10 per cent in 2009.
Students had to be waitlisted for a number of courses at the three tertiary institutes.
Arts, social services, law and education courses experienced the biggest growth for the University of Waikato in Tauranga.
Strong demand also continued for early childhood and primary teacher education programmes and the Diploma in Law.
BOP Polytechnic CEO Dr Alan Hampton says the current state of the economy appears to be a major force driving people into tertiary education.
“(People are)Training and up-skilling with the intention of better equipping for the recovery of the economy and or future proofing them against any further recessionary trends.”
BTI chief executive Amy Edwards says the institute’s Graduate Diploma in Teaching had an increase of 30 per cent this year.
“The economic crisis has caused a number of people to think longer term about their job prospects and to choose careers that will provide a greater degree of security for them.”