CPIT Crucial to Christchurch Recovery

Minister of Tertiary Education Steven Joyce and Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee visited CPIT’s Sullivan Ave campus recently to discuss the reoccupation of the city campus in Madras Street, trades education for the Canterbury region and international student support.

Minister Joyce said that with its volume of students, CPIT is crucial to the recovery of the central city. He was impressed by the way CPIT has managed to get up-and-running at its Sullivan Ave campus, but highlighted that the challenge was now to get Madras Street operational.

With the vast majority of Christchurch’s central business district reduced to rubble, CPIT has become the focus of trades training for the Canterbury region. Minister Joyce acknowledged that CPIT, as a leading provider of training for the construction industry, would be central to trades training during the recovery phase and critical in the development of CPIT’s re-establishment of its central business district.

Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee also emphasized CPIT’s role in the development of trades training for the Canterbury region. He said CPIT would become the place to be for trades training and, in particular, those wanting career-training for the construction industry should be exploring their training options at CPIT.

With widespread concern regarding Christchurch’s international student retention across the city’s main tertiary education providers, Minister Joyce was confident CPIT’s international student population would return once the city campus re-opened.

CPIT Council Chair Jenn Bestwick said CPIT had excellent relationships with its international agencies, and that the institute was working hard to reassure people that CPIT was operational and that its Madras Street campus was due to open shortly.

During the Minister’s visit to CPIT’s Sullivan Ave Campus, Mr Joyce had a short tour of the campus and spent time with CPIT’s School of English Language students – all of which are from overseas.