SERC: College proposes redundancies due to budget shortfall

The college has proposed a redundancy scheme for its staff to account for budget constraints

South Eastern Regional College (SERC) has proposed a redundancy scheme for its staff due to budgetary pressures.

In a document seen by BBC News NI, the college has suggested redundancy for 32 full-time and 27 part-time workers.

"In terms of SERC, our estimated budget pressure into 24/25 is £7.086m," the document said.

"At this stage it appears the budget pressures... can only be addressed by reducing the number of staff employed."

In a statement to BBC News NI, a spokesperson for the Department for the Economy (DFE) said that its spending power had been reduced by £130m.

SERC employs 833 permanent staff and 156 part-time lecturers across college sites in Bangor, Newtownards, Downpatrick, Lisburn, Newcastle, Holywood and Ballynahinch.

The Further Education College Principals' Group said redundancies could be made across all six sites.

It is understood further redundancy schemes at other colleges will be proposed in coming weeks.

'Unwelcome news'

The redundancy process is expected to be completed between March and June 2024.

In a letter to SERC staff, principal and chief executive Ken Webb outlined that full-time staff could be offered a redundancy package of one month's gross basic salary for every full year of continuous service up to a maximum of 21 months, subject to approval.

"The college anticipates that these proposed redundancies will be achieved entirely through volunteers and does not envisage any requirement for compulsory redundancy," he said.

"I appreciate this is unwelcome news and whilst perhaps not unexpected, may be unsettling for you. At this stage, we remain fully committed to protecting our front-line delivery wherever possible and working with staff representatives to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to reduce the number of staff to be made redundant."

The college is expected to hold a consultation meeting with trade union representatives next week to discuss the proposals.

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"The Further Education (FE) sector is facing recurrent pressures totalling £35 million for 2023/24. This pressure comprises £29m inescapable pressures and £6m non-contractual pay (including outstanding Redundancies proposed at college amid cash pressure2023/24 teaching and nonteaching staff pay settlements)," the document detailed.

There are more than 50,000 students taking hundreds of different courses at Northern Ireland's six FE colleges.

A spokesperson for the Further Education College Principals' Group, said colleges were facing "unprecedented financial pressures - including the need to address a funding gap of £35m in terms of future expenditure requirements for 2024-25".

"As individual employers, each one of our colleges is committed to embarking on a full, open and transparent consultation process, and we will continue to communicate with our colleagues and trade unions on this issue," a spokesperson said.

The Department for the Economy said its overall "resource spending power" had been reduced by £130m and therefore it had informed the further education colleges that it would consider staff redundancy proposals.

'Vital education services'

The University and College Union (UCU) said the union had received notification from five of the six colleges that they intended to operate redundancy schemes.

He said the union would not accept cuts to further education services and said the cuts were being "imposed by the NIO Secretary of State, in the absence of a functioning assembly at Stormont."