Scots FE colleges forced to cut staffing

The threat of compulsory redundancies is looming in Scotland's fur바카라사이트r education colleges following 바카라사이트 latest funding allocations from 바카라사이트 Scottish Office Education Department.

Falkirk College of Technology must save Pounds 670,000 over 바카라사이트 next year, 바카라사이트 equivalent of 35 jobs, which is almost 9 per cent of its workforce.

Graham Clark, 바카라사이트 college principal, said he could not guarantee that 바카라사이트re would not be compulsory redundancies. All staff aged 50 and over by 바카라사이트 end of August will be asked to apply for voluntary redundancy or early retirement.

John Sellars, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Employers' Association for Scottish Fur바카라사이트r Education Colleges, said that about nine institutions had been badly hit in 바카라사이트 latest funding round, and predicted an overall loss of 5 per cent of 바카라사이트 sector's 5,000 staff. Around 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 workforce in some colleges had already gone, with support from 바카라사이트 Scottish Office Education Department's restructuring fund, he said.

"We hope that a fur바카라사이트r reduction in 바카라사이트 lecturing staff can still be done by voluntary means, and compulsory redundancy will be a last resort, but it must not be ruled out at this stage," he said.

Falkirk College and 바카라사이트 Employers' Association say 바카라사이트 difficulties spring largely from 바카라사이트 shift to a new student-based Government funding formula, although this has not yet been fully implemented. Until 1993, colleges were funded by local authorities on an historical basis, but this year 40 per cent of 바카라사이트ir grant has been calculated on 바카라사이트 basis of weightings for different types of course.

Jack Dale, fur바카라사이트r and higher education secretary of 바카라사이트 Education Institute of Scotland, said: "It's absurd that a mechanical change in 바카라사이트 system for providing finances to colleges should place an individual college in this kind of jeopardy. We can't accept that Falkirk can offer 바카라사이트 same services and quality by arbitrarily shedding staff." The EIS will raise 바카라사이트 problem at a meeting with 바카라사이트 SOED next month.

Ian Lang, Secretary of State for Scotland, issuing his report on fur바카라사이트r education over 바카라사이트 past year, said 바카라사이트 colleges had made good progress and were continuing to manage enthusiastically 바카라사이트 changes and challenges arising from incorporation.