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Dundee and Angus College reveals details of job and course cuts amid £1.5m budget shortfall

Dundee and Angus College's Kingsway campus.
Dundee and Angus College's Kingsway campus.

Full details have emerged of plans to cut jobs and courses at Dundee and Angus College as the institution battles to make up a £1.5 million budget shortfall.

Bosses previously unveiled proposals to completely scrap the provision of land-based courses like horticulture, in order to save money.

It came as principal Simon Hewitt warned “radical” decisions had to be made after funding cuts from the Scottish Government.

But revised proposals published to staff on Monday suggest a small number of those courses could continue.

College principal Simon Hewitt.
College principal Simon Hewitt.

A document circulated to staff, and seen by The Courier, says “significant feedback” has been received on plans to scrap these courses.

While recognising the programmes have suffered from low recruitment, the college says there are concerns that once lost, land-based subjects may never return to Dundee and Angus College.

In light of this, the document says, a scaled back programme of agriculture and estates skills courses will be offered.

The ending of other courses in this area will save the college more than £200,000.

Prince’s Trust courses could be scrapped

Meanwhile, other savings proposals include plans to scrap the college’s Prince’s Trust courses.

The document, titled “future opportunities and financial challenges”, says: “Despite the high number of inactive young people in the region there are difficulties recruiting and engaging young people in the Prince’s Trust programmes that we offer.

“This has resulted in cancelled courses.”

It adds: “Given the fixed costs attached to this provision it is felt that this can no longer be sustained and as such it is proposed that Prince’s Trust activity is discontinued.”

Three full-time staff jobs connected to the course will be cut, saving £112,000 – but those affected will be offered alternatives such as redeployment.

Plan for no compulsory redundancies

Another £397,000 in savings are also expected to be made through the college’s voluntary severance scheme, with 22 applications received so far.

The paper adds that its the college’s “strong desire” to avoid any compulsory redundancies.

The proposals would achieve savings of £644,000, less than half of the £1.5m required.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes with Simon Hewitt
Finance Secretary Kate Forbes with Simon Hewitt

But Mr Hewitt has warned that further cuts could be required because of the current funding model for colleges.

He said the system was “absolute shambles”, with managers unable to plan effectively due to budgets being set on a yearly basis.

Consultation on the proposals is open until June 20, with the outcomes to be finalised in August.

Last few weeks ‘most difficult’ in college’s history

Mr Hewitt says the last few weeks have been some of the most difficult in the history of the college.

He said: “The scale of the cuts has required immediate and significant action to ensure that we continue to thrive and be successful, and that has meant some stark and unpalatable decisions.

We are under no illusions that this is an exceptionally difficult time for the college”

“We are exceptionally grateful to all staff, students and wider stakeholders who have engaged with the consultation process so far and would like to personally thank everyone who got in touch and, in some cases, brought strong alternative suggestions to the table to help us bridge this significant funding gap.

“We are under no illusions that this is an exceptionally difficult time for the college, especially those directly affected.

“We are working hard to ensure these individuals and teams are supported while we work through the next steps, whilst also managing the process as fairly and promptly as possible with minimum disruption to the college as a whole.”

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