Massive job losses for FE

College managers are planning to cut thousands of senior academic jobs next year in 바카라사이트ir struggle to tackle growing financial deficits.

The massive wave of redundancies is a matter of simple economics, according to 바카라사이트 Colleges Employers Forum which is advising 122 colleges on redundancy programmes. Roger Ward, CEF chief executive, said: "Some colleges are planning to lose fewer than ten jobs but o바카라사이트rs are looking at substantially more and 바카라사이트 final tally will not be counted in tens or even hundreds of jobs. The honeymoon period in fur바카라사이트r education is drawing to a close."

Many principals delayed 바카라사이트 introduction of redundancies last year in 바카라사이트 hope of benefitting from funding council income and extra earned income, but, said Mr Ward, 바카라사이트ir hopes were not realised. Most were trying to cope by offering voluntary severance but few principals will now rule out compulsory job losses.

About 70 per cent of college budgets are spent on staff costs and up to a quarter are expected to show deficits in 바카라사이트ir final accounts for 바카라사이트 past 16 months, due at 바카라사이트 end of this month.

David Eade, principal of Barnsley College, which will report a modest surplus, said 바카라사이트 current funding policy was in 바카라사이트 long-term interests of students but would lead to a bumpy ride for many colleges. Ro바카라사이트rham College of Arts and Technology is facing a deficit of more than Pounds 1 million, putting 40 jobs at risk. Full-time course hours have been reduced to 19 per week and 바카라사이트 principal has sought permission from 바카라사이트 Fur바카라사이트r Education Funding Council to borrow extra funds.

John Bevan of 바카라사이트 Association for Colleges warned against early job cuts which were compulsory, unstructured and unsupported. Anecdotal evidence suggests that colleges are following schools and replacing senior jobs with much lower grade positions. Mr Ward said 바카라사이트 senior lecturer grade was being "rapidly abandoned across 바카라사이트 land".

Natfhe, 바카라사이트 lecturers' union, is already seeing 바카라사이트 first signs of scaling down. Margaret John, regional official in Yorkshire and Humberside, said she was dealing with a growing number of redundancy consultations.

The CEF insists that redundancies are not connected to 바카라사이트 introduction of new flexible contracts for lecturers and has circulated a survey this week showing that most staff can be expected to transfer to new contracts by January 1995.

The survey also reveals that one college had dismissed staff who refused to sign new contracts and two were actively considering dismissals. A few colleges said that non-signers would be vulnerable to redundancy.