With students set to return to study next month, Otago Polytechnic's new Central Campus director John Christie is excited to get going in his new role, in a new location.

Central Campus is Otago Polytechnic's boutique regional campus split across two locations - Cromwell and Wānaka.

It draws on the local environment to offer students a unique learning experience, with programmes ranging from High Country Farming, Horticulture, and Electrical Trades through to Outdoor Education, Avalanche Safety and Snowsports.

John Christie is no stranger to the region.  

He joins Otago Polytechnic after 10 years as manager of Enterprise Dunedin (the economic development team at Dunedin City Council), which followed 20 years as chief executive of the Otago Chamber of Commerce.

John said he had always been on the fringes of education, including running training courses through the Chamber, and serving on the Otago Polytechnic Board for a number of years.

"I've really got an interest in making sure our young people have got good opportunities for training. And not just young people, but anybody really that has got an interest in learning."

"And so for me, this opportunity came up and I thought it would be quite fun to get a bit closer to it and see what difference I can make."

The longtime Dunedinite admits the new Cromwell-based role will be a big change, although he has had a lot to do with the Central Otago region in his previous roles, and is enthusiastic about the potential.

"The location's fantastic. Cromwell and Wānaka are great campuses, and there's real opportunity there to get close to the community. Especially in those areas where you can see the industry growth, like horticulture and agriculture areas."

"There's also your traditional trades like electrical, mechanical, and building which are much needed when you're seeing the growth in housing in this part of the country."

John will be joined by members of the senior leadership team later this month at a community event, meeting with key stakeholders in the region.

This engagement is aimed at helping future-proof the Central Campus, ensuring Otago Polytechnic can continue to provide relevant learning opportunities that meet the evolving needs of learners and the local community.

"This is Central Otago's campus. I think it can be anything they want it to be."

"I think the community have got a lot of the keys to what the success will look like for the two campuses, and we'll be looking for their support."

"So the first bit of this role will be listening to the local community and finding out where those needs are. And I'm confident if we're given the opportunity to deliver that, it'll be a very exciting place for people to study."