Aoraki Polytechnic is cautiously optimistic as enrolments track at 99 per cent of its target for February.

The polytechnic has 888 equivalent fulltime students (EFTS) enrolled, only five off its target of 893.

Financial challenges had led the polytechnic to appoint independent adviser Malcolm Inglis last year to look at options to ensure its future survival, which are to be presented to the Aoraki Polytechnic Council at its meeting this month. Aoraki suffered a loss of $1.6 million in 2011 and is facing a projected loss of $2.1m for last year, along with a drop in student numbers.

At the end of last year chief executive Kay Nelson resigned with her former deputy Alex Cabrera appointed as the acting chief executive.

Mr Cabrera said enrolments were tracking well.

"We are cautiously optimistic and encouraged by early enrolment figures for the first semester.

"It is still too early to confirm exact numbers, we are still taking new enrolments on some programmes as well as working through change of programmes and withdrawals."

Last week, the first week of the semester, the polytechnic had 54 new enrolments. "This week we had 34."

He expected figures at the end of March to give a more accurate indication of the polytech's position as students had until then to decide if they would stay on in their course.

The target was for 1500 EFTS at year end. "We have our semester two intake to look forward to and we will continue to work hard to deliver to the training needs of the region."

The polytechnic has five campuses, of the 888 EFTS the majority of students were at the Timaru campus with 519 EFTS, followed by Dunedin with 162, Christchurch with 101, Ashburton with 40 and Oamaru with 16, as well as 50 EFTS being delivered off-campus.

Popular programmes this semester included the Certificate in International Tourism, Certificate in Professional Office Management and the Certificate in Motor Industry (Heavy Engineering) which shows a growing demand for these programmes in the region.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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