MAYBE MINISTER: Steven Joyce at the media conference with, behind from left, journalism head Jim Tucker, chief executive Don Campbell, polytech council chair Roger Sowry, new head of the Tertiary Education Commission Belinda Clark and Mr Joyce's executive assistant Kirsten Rei.

STUDENTS should not expect the government to deliver them part-time jobs, says Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce.

“We can’t control the economy, as much as we’d like to think we do,” Mr Joyce said today.

The minister was speaking at a media conference, pictured, after officially opening the Whitireia New Zealand Media Training centre in Cuba St today.

The question was raised by journalism students concerned about students’ part-time jobs being hit by National’s Future Focus welfare reforms aimed at getting beneficiaries back into work.

DISABILITY QUERY: David Piper questions the Minister.

The Government’s Budget plans for students, changes to tertiary education and rumours of a possible merger between Whitireia and Weltec were also raised.

While the minister said there would be only minor changes to student loan policy in next week’s Budget, he said the government could do nothing about jobs for students.

“There’s no fixed number of jobs in the economy, and if there was, we’d be in trouble.”

There may be minor changes to policy, but the principle of interest-free student loans for those who stay in the country will remain.

“But the great thing about budgets is that everyone can apply their judgement, and they can do that on the 26^th of November,” he said, referring to the general election.

“New Zealand has one of the most generous student support benefits in the world, those who stay in the country take on average 4½ years to pay off their student loan.”

Mr Joyce does not believe any major social implications have been caused by the $11.5b student loan debt as most people come out of tertiary education with better job prospects.

Rumours regarding a possible merger between Whitireia and Weltec, Wellington’s two polytechnics were refuted.

ON THE JOB: Student journalists, from left, Grant Ellen, Sarah Dunn, Rodney Brown and Greg Ford.

Mr Joyce said he was not aware of a planned merger, only a pledge that the two polytechnics will be working closer together which he believes will be beneficial for students in Wellington.

“The approach I’ve taken with the whole polytech sector is to always do what’s best for your students.

“Getting the best possible results for students means working together in such a way that you minimise all the support costs and maximise the amount of resources you have in centres like this.”

Whitiriea and Weltec share four of the same board members, and Roger Sowry is chairman of both boards.

Mr Joyce was challenged by blind student David Piper, pictured above, about the lack of support for students with disabilities on internships.

Mr Joyce replied that it was not an issue that he was familiar with as it had never been brought to his attention before.

He suggested Mr Piper gets in touch with his office to formally raise the issue.

Asked about upcoming legislation to remove compulsory membership of student associations, Mr Joyce said he favoured the move, saying compulsory membership of organisations of that nature was out-dated and unacceptable.

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