No course cuts or staff redundancies, vows college chief

The principal of Fife College has vowed to avoid redundancies and course cuts despite a significant funding gap.

Hugh Hall’s comments come after a warning from Dundee and Angus College chief Simon Hewitt that he would have to cut courses as he battles to fill a £1.5 million budget black hole.

Fife’s share of the £51.9m national cut in funding, shared across the sector’s 26 colleges, has not been confirmed by Mr Hall.

He says despite losing some income, as part of the Scottish Government spending review, the college is finding savings in other areas.

About half of its roughly 1,000 workers are also aged over 50, with some deciding to retire – allowing further savings.

Mr Hall said: “We don’t have any redundancies in the current round, we’ve been planning for this and made some reductions in other areas.

“We’ve not had to make a single person redundant.

“Our printing costs have reduced remarkably, and things like travel costs are down as we’ve got new ways of working.

“We do also make salary savings through people deciding to leave and move on.”

The principal says some areas of activity around courses have been reduced but insists this has been met with increases in other areas.

“We need to target areas required for the economy; digital, engineering, health and social care, where there is a real need for skilled people in the work place,” he said. “I’m not suggesting we abolish social sciences, there will always be a place, but there is a need to review the balance of provision.

“You do have to find efficiencies year-on-year, but as long as you get time to plan then you can deal with that.

“For me, closer collaboration with other colleges and universities is one way of making efficiencies.

“The other way is grow our non-core income.

“We generate around £9m a year in commercial income – so income from the third sector and private sector.”

The college holds the contract to provide education in Scotland’s prisons, generating about £4m.

Dundee and Angus

College principal Mr Hewitt pointed to funding inequality that results in colleges being paid less per student than universities and schools.

The funding model means colleges receive about £4,000 per student compared to £6,000 per head for schools and £8,000 for universities.

Jamie Hepburn, the Scottish Government’s higher and further education minister, said: “We will continue to invest nearly £2 billion per year in Scotland’s colleges and universities over the spending period, enabling them to continue to deliver high quality education and training.

“We will continue to work closely with colleges, along with the Scottish Funding Council, on how best to support the sector.”

PLEDGE: Fife College principal Hugh Hall is confident he can keep his promise despite a significant funding gap.