Reporting by Aimee Gulliver of Critic
Student Job Search campus offices look likely to become a thing of the past, due to a proposal from the senior leadership team, which would see it become more online focused. This would force the closure of all regional offices, replacing them with a central Wellington call centre.
Though staff at SJS have been told nothing has been finalised, all staff are on fixed term contracts which finish in September.
Dunedin Regional Service Delivery Leader, Suzanne Te Au, believes this is when the proposal will be implemented. Te Au has been critical of the idea, saying “the heart and soul of Student Job Search is being usurped.”
“Student Job Search was set up by students for students, it doesn’t cost anything and is a very valuable service.”
While the leadership team is currently consulting staff and others affected by the decision, there are fears among staff that the decision to implement the proposal has already been made.
Student Job Search currently completes 26,000 job placements each year. Over the mid-term break, the Kelburn office was relocated from Mount Street to the Student Union Building.