Media release
19 April 2006
Wake-up call for tertiary education
A UMR survey showing low public confidence in tertiary education should be a wake-up call to the sector, says Business
NZ Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly.
The NZQA-commissioned survey found that 36 per cent of New Zealanders have confidence in the tertiary education system,
24 per cent have little or no confidence and 36 per cent are 'neutral'.
”From our perspective, these relatively low levels of public confidence are worrying. This is a sector that is crucial
for the economic development of New Zealand.
“The results are consistent with other research which shows employers are also generally dissatisfied with the quality
of graduates from universities and polytechnics. A recent Massey University study found that fewer than a quarter of
employers felt that schools and universities were giving students the skills they needed, and polytechs fared little
better, while private training, industry training and in-house training received much better reports.
“The UMR survey indicates that concerns about the sector are widespread. We are ready to work with the sector to improve
the linkages between education and employment,” Mr O’Reilly said.
ENDS