Education and Employment to Close

The Salvation Army has made the decision to close its education and training provider, Education and Employment.

The service will close on 30 June 2019.

Education and Employment has been a valuable part of The Salvation Army’s work for 41 years, providing training and education, and transforming the lives of more than 80,000 people, their families and communities.

However, in the past five years The Salvation Army has faced the same pressures that have forced so many other Private Training Establishments to close. Due to the current funding model the sector, including Education and Employment, has become unsustainable.

Education and Employment has been running at a loss, and for the past five years The Salvation Army has funded this shortfall from reserves. At the same time student numbers have been falling—in line with other providers in the sector.

This combination of factors meant the service was unsustainable and led The Salvation Army to the difficult decision to close.

We are pleased to advise our current learners and staff in four locations have the opportunity to transition to a new provider: EmployNZ.

Youth Guarantee services in Whakatane and Mt Maunganui will continue at the current locations.

ESOL services at Waitakere and Royal oak will also continue at the current locations.
Services provided for Corrections and The Community Driver Mentoring Programme are transitioning within The Salvation Army to the Addiction, Supportive Accommodation & Reintegration Services (ASARS) team.

The Salvation Army is extremely proud of the lives that were changed by Education and Employment.

When The Salvation Army arrived in New Zealand in 1883 one of its first areas of focus was on supporting people who were not in work. The Salvation Army set up New Zealand’s first labour exchange and in 1978 it began the formal training for work programmes that became Education and Employment.

In addition to Education and Employment Salvation Army centres and services around the country The Salvation Army have continued to support people who are unemployed to transform their lives. The names of the services may change, but this commitment continues.

Issued on the Authority of Commissioner Andy Westrupp (Territorial Commander)
The Salvation Army, New Zealand Fiji, Tonga & Samoa Territory

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