Students enrolled in seven trades programmes at the Dunedin campus will have to pay only course-related costs.
The offer was prompted by demand for skilled tradespeople in Dunedin as well as the wider Otago region and nationwide.
Polytechnic communications director Mike Waddell said the planned $358 million University of Otago building programme and the polytechnic's own plan to spend about $15 million on construction meant hundreds more tradespeople would be needed in Dunedin alone.
Fuelling demand was the $40 billion rebuilding of Christchurch and dwindling numbers of skilled tradespeople nationwide.
''There is a real threat of skill shortages and the Government has prioritised certain trades. We are responding to that particular need and, basically, it's a one-off deal to see if we can attract people to train in those areas,'' Mr Waddell said.
Tuition will be free for this year's certificates in carpentry, plasterboard stopping, painting, masonry trades, and automotive, electrical and mechanical engineering, as well as a kaupapa-based programme covering a range of trades. The courses range in length from 16 weeks to one year and start between July 1 and early September.
At the upper end, a year's tuition for such programmes cost about $5000, Mr Waddell said.
''Materials for all the programmes will cost about $500 and, in some cases, students will have to spend a few hundred extra getting overalls and tools, which they will keep. So some programmes might cost about $800, but that's still better than $5800.''
It was not yet known how many students the polytechnic could enrol, but it was likely to be between 100 and 200.
''We will do our best but there will be a limit on it, and it depends on what people want to do. We want to see if we can reach people who may not have considered trades training, or help those who are unemployed and receiving a benefit to get into a trade and have a worthwhile career.''
An increased student roll was good for the polytechnic and the Government would help fund certain trades programmes if they grew, he said.
''The ideal outcome would be that successful graduates could go on and undertake an apprenticeship or cadetship with a company. It's fantastic for the polytechnic and for the city, and we want to make sure our people in our community are well supported,'' Mr Waddell said.
The initiative was supported by Dunedin's engineering and construction industries as well as the Dunedin City Council.
