College union campaign over course closures
College union UCU is continuing its campaign to stop cuts which will mean about 1,500 learners in the county will have no course to attend next year. Worcester College of Technology is cutting £1.4 million from its budget because of a funding shortfall directed by the previous government. About 30 jobs have been axed at the college, a number of which are compulsory redundancies.
College lecturers took to the streets on Monday to gain signatures for a petition organised by Worcester Trades Union Council to deplore the cuts. Their action mirrored that of colleagues in Birmingham and Wolverhampton who staged a one day strike. The cuts at the college will hit a range of courses, particularly for adults. Classes for people who wish to train for the construction and catering trades have been particularly badly affected. Also hit have been ESOL classes which help people whose first language is not English to improve their skills and to settle more easily in the country.
Lecturers’ leader Bryn Griffiths said “It is ironic that the new Coalition Government has been making warm noises about colleges of further education and vocational training. If they do not do something very quickly there will be nobody left to do the teaching”.