More public embarrassment for polytech merger Te Pūkenga today after a budget bid was accidentally published online.

The budget bid had no redactions, revealing that the organisation believes it needs another $420 million over the next four years, half of which will be spent on IT.

BusinessDesk managing editor Pattrick Smellie says the costs of marrying up the various IT systems that exist in the country’s 16 polytechs add up to $285 million.

Pattrick Smellie says this sounds like a huge amount to spend on IT over training the telecoms engineers, builders, plumbers, and mechanics New Zealand is desperately short of.

LISTEN ABOVE