Tertiary Education Commission

The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) is responsible for funding tertiary education in New Zealand, assisting New Zealand people to reach their full potential and contributing to the social and economic well-being of the country.

TEC is responsible for managing the Government’s $3 billion annual funding for tertiary education. It also provides policy advice and implementation across the sector, and supports tertiary education organisations to be accountable, self-improving and self-managing.

It gives effect to the Government’s requirements for tertiary education as outlined in the Tertiary Education Strategy and act in accordance with our role and responsibilities as set out in the Education Act 1989.

All forms of post-secondary school education and training come under TEC's umbrella. These range from literacy and numeracy education to academic study, Modern Apprenticeships and work-related training through to doctoral research.

TEC was established in 2003.

Its web site is at http://www.tec.govt.nz

Who TEC is

Leadership and strategic advice are provided by TEC's Executive Team which is also responsible for the performance and deliverables of the organisation.

Around 220 staff are employed across three directorates.

The Service Centre is the key contact point for tertiary education organisations, while the Investment Managers provide additional support to industry training organisations and tertiary education institutes (universities, institutes of technology, polytechnics and wānanga).

What TEC does

The Tertiary Education Commission Te Amorangi Mātauranga Matua (TEC) leads the government’s relationship with the tertiary sector and makes investments in tertiary education and training on the government’s behalf.

The role of the TEC is to provide advice to the government on the activities and performance of Tertiary Education Organisations and the tertiary education sector, and to provide advice on the implementation of policy and the operational implications of new policy initiatives.

The Government’s investment of $3 billion each year into the New Zealand tertiary education system contributes to the social and economic growth of the whole country. The system delivers greater prosperity, security and opportunities for New Zealanders, enabling them to develop the skills necessary to reach their full potential.

The Government’s priorities for tertiary education are:

• a high-trust and high-quality tertiary funding environment
• all students leaving the education system with worthwhile qualifications
• an appropriately trained and competent workforce.

In order to meet the Government’s expectations, TEC has established priorities which are set out in the annual Statement of Intent 2011 (PDF, 1.6 Mb). The two sets of current priorities are related to impacts on learners and the development of the tertiary system.

Working with other agencies is vital to achieving the Government’s education priorities. Key government agencies include: Ministry of Education New Zealand Qualifications Authority Ministry of Research, Science and Technology Foundation for Research, Science and Technology Ministry of Economic Development Department of Labour Ministry of Social Development. W

TEC also engages with a range of private, education sector and industry representative groups.

How TEC works

TEC interact with a broad range of TEOs on a number of topics including funding, performance and policy.

The TEC website is the main channel for communicating with those TEOs (as well as learners, education agencies, other government departments and the public), providing a broad range of information, online tools and other useful resources.

All the information you need to work with TEC or to learn about the tertiary education sector is included on this site. You can also ask TEC questions online which go directly to the Service Centre to answer. The Service Centre is also the main channel for telephone and email contact with TEC.

Tertiary education institutions and industry training organisations are also assigned investment managers to provide them with advice and support for understanding TEC policies, procedures and process requirements.

Through the Strategy Planning and Information Directorate, TEC provides leadership to the sector on tertiary education strategy and provision for Māori and Pacific peoples. The directorate supports TEC in building capacity and capability to address the development aspirations of these people.

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