About Us

The New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology - NZIST (formerly known as Te Pūkenga) was established as a national network for all the country’s 25 polytechnics and industry training organisations. It was founded to better serve the needs of ākonga, employers and communities.

A change in direction

NZIST is now in a process of disestablishment. The Government wishes to return vocational education to regionally autonomous institutions and industry owned on-job training.

Our journey

During 2018-2023, New Zealand vocational education underwent significant reforms. The aim was to create a sustainable system responsive to the fast-changing world of skills, learning and work, and to better serve the needs of ākonga, employers and communities.

In April 2020 the creation of NZIST was an outcome of the vocational education reform. This involved bringing together the 16 institutes of technology and polytechnics and nine industry training organisations into a single, national, unified network of regionally accessible vocational education and training. 

Where to now?

Throughout 2024 and 2025, NZIST has focused on preparing for disestablishment and supporting its business divisions to transition to newly established entities. This has included supporting individual divisions to improve their financial viability for when most of them become standalone entities on 1 January 2026.

We will continue to operate as a legal entity in 2026, and possibly up to March 2027, with four polytechnics remaining as part of NZIST until the Government makes decisions on their future. These polytechnics are Northtec, Tai Poutini, the Western Institute of Technology, and Whitireia & WelTec.

It is intended that the needs of learners and employers continue to be met during a seamless transition to the Government's new model for vocational education and training.