53 City College Plymouth jobs at risk from £1.2m budget cutbacks
UP TO 53 jobs at City College Plymouth are 'at risk' — with 25 posts expected to be axed — due to budget cuts.
Bosses at the college revealed yesterday the redundancies are expected to be made because of Government public sector cuts.
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The college, which employs 850 full-time staff, said the redundancies would be made 'shortly' as it prepared to undergo a £1.2million cut in Government funding from its annual budget of £33million.
The job losses, said college chiefs, would represent less than 3 per cent of its total headcount.
A spokesman said: "The redundancies are necessary because of the Government's public sector cuts which have seen budgets for the further education sector — both locally and nationally — significantly cut.
"Colleges around the country have been told their current budgets, particularly those related to post-19 adult education, will be either slashed or capped."
The college, based in Devonport, educates and trains almost 18,000 students each year. Bosses said the budget cuts had affected 'all areas' of provision — and 'it is inevitable that redundancies will have to be made to both management and front-line teaching staff'.
However, they said they expect the maximum number of posts lost as a result of compulsory redundancies will be less than 25.
College principal Viv Gillespie said: "The need to carry out a thorough review of our course provision has come out of increasing financial pressures, with the college receiving less Government funding to put on courses for students.
"It is regrettable that we have been forced to look at a redundancy programme.
"We are in the same position as colleges up and down the country in that we have to make these difficult decisions."
College bosses said they had met staff and trade unions. They said they would be doing 'everything they could to preserve as many jobs as possible'.
Staff have been advised that 53 posts are at risk — but compulsory redundancies could be less than 25 due to staff redeployment, voluntary redundancy and natural staff turnover.
Viv Gillespie said: "It's inevitable that some of our decisions are going to be unwelcome but we will do everything we can to ensure the consultation process does not adversely affect learners and is transparent and fair."
Universities have also been told that their budgets will be squeezed by £449m in 2010 to 2011, including a 1.6 per cent reduction — £215million — in funding for teaching.
The Association of Colleges has said: "It is already clear that many colleges will be closing courses and making redundancies to keep their finances in balance."
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by Joseph, Plymouth
Monday, July 26 2010, 12:32PM
“Just to clear up a few inconsistencies and misguided comments. City College Plymouth is also a Plymouth University Campus, which is not only responsible for, so called real skills development. It is indeed additionally responsible for carrying out many degrees, albeit foundation degrees, which is equivalent to the first two years of a BSc honours degree; once students have completed this foundation degree they are entitled to enter the final year of the corresponding honours degree at university. This is an extremely well established system that aids the main university campus in particular with regards to the student ¿ lecturer ratio. Although many suggest that the influx of students in Plymouth is somewhat annoying; it must be equally considered, that the increased revenue which derives from students is substantial. Finally, in direct response to some comments; although it is possible for students to download and pass others work off as their own because it is so widely available on the internet; students rarely succeed in accomplishing this. I can assure all participants that lectures consistently use online plagiarism checkers. As it is illegal to pass another¿s work of as one¿s own or even quote another¿s work without making reference to the original source, students face very tough sanctions, which students are informed of before entering a degree. Yes, it¿s easy to get information through resources such as the internet, grass roots research is encouraged at universities, but obviously not plagiarism.
It¿s more that regrettable that the populations educational needs will need to suffer. I am concerned that the cuts in education are an extremely short sighted measure. Cut¿s to the school building plans, cuts in teaching assistances, cuts to colleges and universities. What¿s going to happen in ten years when the country hasn¿t got a professionally trained and skilled work force? I suppose the country will then reverse its skilled migration cap. This has massive implications for the countries future development¿.extremely short sighted.”
by Jim, Plymouth
Monday, July 26 2010, 11:43AM
“I fully understand the issue about funding cuts affecting the budget on teaching at the college- however and this is a big however- this college has continually made cuts to their staff almost on a bi-annual basis. Something tells me that the problem is little more deeper than just cuts in funding.”
by Shipmate Ron, Plymouth
Sunday, July 18 2010, 9:52PM
“Plumbing, catering and hairdressing sounds like a silly course to me. Who would want to study that combination David? Surely it would be better to specialise?”
by david, Derriford
Sunday, July 18 2010, 4:53PM
“Note all of you talking about the university. The article is about City College (used to be called the CFE) not the university. City College is about learning real skills (plumbing, catering, hairdressing etc) for jobs not degrees”
by Michael, Plymouth
Saturday, July 17 2010, 9:39PM
“The University is about to announce another set of redundancies as well, because of its funding cuts. If it stopped all the Academic staff going on jaunts to Canada, America, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Dubai for 'Research', they wouldn't need the redundancies.
Someone somewhere needs to analyse just what 'Staff Development' means in the University, and just how much is spent in this budget. Because it's tax payers money being spent for the equivilant of a free holiday, several times a year for some Academics. Some even take their families!
City College is well past it's sell by date. Poor organisation is their downfall.”