Edinburgh College lecturers staged a walkout after being told three courses are to be completely cut from the syllabus.
The courses of events management, retail and stone masonry are proposed to be removed from the Sighthill site. Unions fear up to 180 jobs being put at risk over the four college campuses with the possibility of other scaled back courses.
A ballot in the next few weeks for industrial action will follow the walk-out that happened at 1pm across all of Edinburgh College campuses with frustration by students and lecturers about the proposals.
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Kevin Scally, EIS member has lectured in events management for 14 years and spoke to Edinburgh Live during the walk-out about how much of an effect these cuts to courses and jobs could have.
He said: “The students who need the money, the most, often end up in college’s and there is not enough investment to help these people. We talk about social mobility and that is what colleges are all about.”
“They are not only threatening our jobs, they are also threatening the opportunities of students, many of whom who have not considered to go to university as the college experience is a steppingstone for them.”
“I think a lot of our students come here because education has failed them first time round. This is their opportunity to gain an education and make something of themselves and it’s being whipped away from them.”
With the plans to events management course being cut this would mean that students who travel from the Borders to attend Edinburgh College would need to travel to Fife for the next nearest course.
According to the proposals, the department of events management and retail at Sighthill workforce would be cut from six full-time lecturers to only one part-time member of staff with many more proposed cuts to jobs in other departments.
Some students stayed at campus during the walk-out today to support their lecturers due to cuts to jobs that could affect their opportunities going into the future.
Caroline, 50, Rocky, 20, and Eilidh, 19, are taught events management at Sighthill and attended the small demonstration outside of the college.
Caroline said: “I think that the courses that Edinburgh college offer are phenomenal and are relevant to Edinburgh particularly events management.”
Rocky, attempted to attend university but with his ADHD was unable to keep up with the course work. He said: “The courses that college offers are so important for people who do not have traditional learning styles.”
Eilidh has dyslexia and claims she would not be able to get the support she needs if she attended university: “I get so much support and it’s great.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Operational decisions on resourcing and staffing matters are for individual colleges. Ministers have no direct role in this. We expect colleges to align their staffing complement and skills with the needs of the economy and future skills.
“However, central to our Fair Work approach is the expectation that employers, workers and trades unions should work together to reach the right decisions and ensure workers are treated fairly.”
An Edinburgh College spokesperson said: “A proposed curriculum reshaping consultation through an initial voluntary severance scheme is currently underway at our college.
We continue to align our curriculum with the skills needs of our region and the people and partners we serve. We have undertaken a detailed review of the current curriculum, including data driven analysis of skills needs in the economy and student demand, to best inform any proposed plans for reshaping our curriculum offer.
In addition, our college, along with all colleges in Scotland, are facing significant financial challenges brought about through real term cuts in funding and rising costs. It is important that we are responsive to the challenges we, and the sector, are facing in order to stabilise our financial position. We are committed to working openly and honestly with staff and are engaging with staff and meeting EIS-FELA representatives regularly throughout this time.”
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