An overview

Tertiary education makes a unique and invaluable contribution to New  Zealand’s national development in all dimensions – social, economic and  environmental. It passes on skills  needed in the workforce, gives people the opportunity to build careers, contributes to social cohesion and is responsible for much of the country’s innovation and knowledge  creation.

The diversity of the tertiary education  sector is evident in the mix of organisations that make it up: public tertiary education institutions, private training establishments, industry training organisations, adult and community education providers, and others. In addition, employers provide industry-related training and training in the workplace.

There are three kinds of public tertiary education institutions – universities, institutes of technology and polytechnics, and wānanga. Another 16 tertiary education providers, known as ‘other’ tertiary education providers, also deliver programmes of national significance and receive government funding. In addition, there are 722 registered private training establishments that cater for a range of learners. 

Note that at the beginning of 2007, the last two  remaining colleges of education merged with their neighbouring universities. The major function of the colleges of education was to provide training and research mostly related to early childhood and compulsory education. Most of this is now carried out  by the universities.