Inverness College UHI to cut staff to save £800k
Inverness College UHI could make staff redundant in a bid to save £800,000.
But it has vowed to avoid compulsory redundancies, wherever possible.
The savings have to be made over the next year and it is looking at a voluntary severance scheme and an "alternatives to redundancies scheme".
It is not sure how many posts will go.
College principal Professor Chris O’Neil said: “The college and university sectors in Scotland continue to face significant challenges in an environment of rising costs and a real terms decline in core income.
"An increase in staff pay and employers’ pension contributions, together with the rising costs of utilities and services, have all contributed to the financial pressures across the sector. The situation has been exacerbated by a declining youth demographic across the country and an overall drop in student numbers nationally, which has caused challenges for our higher education provision, in particular.
"The impact of Covid-19 only serves to heighten an already precarious financial environment, with both Colleges Scotland and Universities Scotland forecasting deficits of millions of pounds for the sectors.
"It is therefore essential we act now to achieve financial stability and ensure a sustainable structure for the future, which continues to provide an excellent student experience and the education and training needs of the region’s economy as it recovers from this public health crisis.
"Consequently, we are now consulting with trade unions, managers and staff on options to reduce our staff costs including a voluntary severance scheme and alternatives to redundancy. We recognise this is a particularly challenging time for everyone and we are committed to working with our staff to achieve these savings in a way that minimises impact on them and our students.
"Inverness College UHI continues to be one of the leading large colleges in Scotland, with student success rates and satisfaction rates among the highest in the country. Our priority remains delivering an excellent student experience and positive outcomes for all our learners.”
Inverness College UHI is one of the largest partners of the University of the Highlands and Islands – a partnership comprising 13 colleges and research institutions.
