More in industry training and postgraduate study

More New Zealanders are studying in the workplace and achieving a tertiary qualification in 2005, compared to 2004, and this will help accelerate economic transformation, said Tertiary Education Minister Michael Cullen today.

Dr Cullen's comments follow the release of the Ministry of Education’s annual report on the tertiary education sector - Profiles and Trends 2005

"We are doing much better at raising the skill levels and improving the productivity of New Zealanders," said Dr Cullen. "Half of our working-age population in 2005 held a tertiary qualification – degree, postgraduate or vocational. One in five of those aged over 15 were involved in some sort of tertiary training.

"We are also doing better at lifting skills at the higher end of the tertiary sector. Over the five years ending in 2005 university doctoral enrolments increased by 29 percent with 4,660 enrolled in 2005. The research contract income earned by the universities was up 7.2 percent over 2004.

"Research on employment shows that those with tertiary qualifications have higher earnings than others; they have a lower risk of unemployment and more employment opportunities. And the economy also benefits. Treasury research shows labour productivity growth has recently risen to its highest level in over two years and this growth is essential if we are to raise our economic performance," said Dr Cullen.

In 2005 there were 504,000 students enrolled in formal study programmes with tertiary education providers. Forty-seven thousand of these were international students. In addition, over 162,000 trainees were engaged in industry-based training, including 8,400 modern apprenticeships. There were 161,000 enrolments in short courses in 2005. Non-formal education such as adult and community education attracted an estimated 360,000 enrolments.

"The government spent $4 billion on tertiary education in 2005 and this investment is vital for New Zealand’s sustained economic and social development, said Dr Cullen.

"This government has lowered the cost of a tertiary education through interest free student loans. To lift economic performance we must encourage more to enter the tertiary sector and to study and train in the right areas.

"Tertiary education organisations have begun the challenge of strengthening the quality and relevance of tertiary education provision. Funding reforms now underway will ensure they maximise their contribution to transforming New Zealand into a higher skilled, higher wage, knowledge-based economy.

"It is important too that we have a tertiary education sector that allows families young and old to meet their aspirations for education success and one that supports and celebrates our unique national identity," said Dr Cullen.

Background
The report, Profile & Trends 2005: New Zealand’s Tertiary Education Sector, produced by the Ministry of Education, provides a summary of important characteristics and overall performance of the tertiary education sector in 2005.

Key points from the report are:

• The number of people enrolled in formal study programmes rose to 504,000 in 2005, an increase of 3.6 percent from 2004.
• While more people studied in 2005, when converting the numbers to equivalent full-time students, there was a fall of 1.2 percent largely as a result of a drop in international enrolments. In 2005, there were 457,000 domestic students and 47,400 international students.
• From 2004 to 2005, international student enrolments fell by 6.1 percent while, by contrast, domestic numbers rose by 4.7 percent.
• More than 162,000 trainees were engaged in industry-based training, including 8,400 modern apprentices.
• There were 161,000 enrolments in short courses in 2005 and non-formal education such as adult and community education attracted an estimated 360,000 enrolments.
• Half of the New Zealand working-age population held a tertiary qualification in 2005, compared to 41 percent in 1995. Between 1995 and 2005, the number of people with a bachelors degree or higher nearly doubled from 8 percent to 15 percent of the working-age population.
• The median weekly income of New Zealanders with a bachelors degree or higher was $756, compared to $560 for people with other types of tertiary qualification, $309 for those with a school qualification and $293 for those with no qualifications.
• The tertiary sector produces almost 70 percent of the country’s research publications; and the number of Doctor of Philosophy degrees (PhDs) awarded to New Zealanders nearly doubled between 1995 and 2005.
• University research income increased by 65 percent between 2000 and 2005. Research contract income grew by 71 percent over the same time.
• The government’s contestable research funding increased in 2004 and the universities increased their share of this funding. Research funding won by the universities was $119 million in 2004, up from $100 million in 2003.