Learner satisfaction on the rise at Tai Poutini Polytechnic

Student satisfaction with their studies at Tai Poutini Polytechnic has risen in the past year, with almost all learners in 2021 happy with their training and considering it valuable for their future.

Independently collected survey data shows overall student satisfaction rose four percentage points in 2021 on the previous year, with 99% of students rating their satisfaction a four or five out of five. Also in 2021, 100% of Tai Poutini Polytechnic Māori graduates rated their overall satisfaction a five out of five.

Chief Executive Alex Cabrera says this is an excellent result for the institute that reflects significant effort in recent times to focus on the delivery of quality, sustainable vocational education that meets the needs of the West Coast.

“I’m very pleased with the survey outcomes and proud of the work our staff have put in to support learners and ensure they achieve the results and outcomes they need to continue their learning and work journeys.

“In recent years we’ve implemented a range of performance improvement measures that have focused on the quality of our programmes, a focus on meeting regional employment needs and the way we support and encourage our learners to achieve. We’ve seen our national quality rating – carried out by NZQA – improve in recent years and these most recent learner satisfaction outcomes are the proof of the hard work that has gone in.”

Other results from 2021 student surveys include the finding that learners who believed their programme represented value for money in 2021 rose six percentage points on the previous year, to 99%. The percentage of students who would recommend their programme to a friend or colleague (called the "net promoter score”) was 74% ‐ this is significantly above national averages, with any score above 50 considered “excellent”.

Some of the statement‐focused questions also show a very pleasing outcome for 2021:

• “The programme helped me to realise the goals I set when I enrolled” – 99% “agree” or “tend to agree”.
• “I learned to apply skills and knowledge gained from my programme to new situations – 99% “agree” or “tend to agree”.
• “I consider what I learned valuable for my future” – 99% “agree” or “tend to agree”.
• “The programme prepared me for work in my chosen career” – 97% “agree” or “tend to agree”.
• “The programme made me want to learn more” – 97% “agree” or “tend to agree”.

In terms of future activities, 60% of students surveyed were working at the time while 44% indicated they were either currently studying, enrolled to study or intended to study more in the future.

Tai Poutini Polytechnic measures student outcomes through two reports. The Graduate Outcome Report asks graduates about their studies from the previous year and determines whether or not they have gone into employment or further study. The Graduate Outcomes Benchmark report provide a comparison of Tai Poutini Polytechnic’s graduates to other subsidiary graduates. The reports are prepared by Otago Polytechnic Organisational Research on behalf of institutes of technology.

Published 26 May 2022