A consultation with college staff has begun to reduce duplicate job roles across two sites, following the proposed merger between City of Bath College and Norton Radstock College.
A 60 day consultation period has been formally entered into as City of Bath College’s Board of the Corporation is proposing redundancies that could affect approximately 91 employees.
The proposed redundancies are expected to affect academic and non-teaching support roles at all levels in a number of departments.
City of Bath College and Norton Radstock College currently employ a total of 677 staff employed across both campuses.
However, 91 employees are not expected to lose their jobs as the proposed merger will also create approximately 52 new posts.
City of Bath College Principal Matt Atkinson said no job losses had been finalised but “difficult choices” would need to be made.
He said: “It’s important to be honest when merging two colleges and a restructure of staff is essential for the new college’s future growth.
“We have formally entered a period of consultation and we will do all with can to minimise job losses.
“Some redundancies will be unavoidable but we have a good track record of working with the trade unions and we are confident the impact of the merger on jobs will be minimal.
“Therefore although 91 individuals may be put at risk of redundancy we do not envisage 91 individuals losing their jobs.”
Matt said the consultation process would ensure the new multi-campus college had the right staffing levels to deliver its courses and equip students with the relevant skills for employers.
He added: “We have to make the necessary savings to ensure the college has a robust financial plan for the future, while maintaining a consistent focus on high quality education and putting students first.
“It’s about making sure we have staff with the right subject skills and without under-staffing and over-staffing in any areas.”
The restructuring will include the closure of Norton Radstock’s building in St. Francis Road, Keynsham.
All animal care courses will be centralised at the Radstock site to help “rejuvenate and reinvigorate” the campus.
City of Bath College’s Board of the Corporation is consulting with four trade unions in the hope that compulsory redundancies can be avoided.
Staff are being updated through regular briefings and both colleges are hosting Q&A sessions to give employees the opportunity to ask questions and discuss any concerns.
The consultation is expected to conclude by 6th April, which is the target date for the merger to go ahead.
The new college will deliver vocational and educational training for more than 3,000 full-time students and around 10,000 part-time students across the broadest range of subjects.
Its focus will be to create the skills to meet the demand of the labour market whilst making a positive contribution to business growth and economic regeneration.
The Department for Business Innovation and Skills identified the merger as the best possible option following Norton Radstock’s inadequate Ofsted inspection.
City of Bath College has been transformed into a good college with outstanding features after moving up through the Ofsted grading system over the last seven years.
