Why Scotland's colleges remain a 'burning platform' despite industrial relations breakthrough

The resolution of a bitter battle between lecturers and management over pay came as a welcome surprise to many at the start of the new academic year. The deal offers the chance to reset relations in a sector that has been dogged by industrial action for too long.

There also appears to be a sense that longer-term changes could be made to prevent these disputes becoming an annual event. These are positive developments for colleges, staff and their students, and will alter the narrative, around industrial relations at least.

However, in November last year, Scottish Government adviser James Withers told Holyrood’s education committee that while the potential of the college sector was “phenomenal”, he viewed it as a “burning platform in relation to finance and sustainability”.

He told MSPs he feared a “chaotic reorganisation” might be on the cards. Since then, there has been little evidence to suggest the flames have been extinguished.

Within weeks of Mr Withers’ statement, the Scottish Government cut funding for colleges by £32.7m, or 4.7 per cent, and the minister, Graeme Dey, has recently failed to rule out further reductions.

Four colleges were expected to run out of money this summer, without Government intervention, and cash deficits have been forecast for six institutions by 2026. Staff costs account for 70 per cent of college spending, which is why huge numbers of posts are being cut through vacancy management and voluntary redundancies.

Figures published by The Scotsman today show the vast majority of recent voluntary redundancies have been in colleges in the Central Belt, but last year there were also 49 at UHI Perth and 12 at UHI Shetland.

UHI, the University of the Highlands and Islands, is a network of colleges that will soon unveil details of its plan to become a “single institution”, and, presumably, start to discuss the impact of this vision on jobs.

The ongoing loss of so many talented staff in the sector is not only a personal blow to individuals, it threatens to change fundamentally what colleges are able to deliver, and the “anchor” role they play not only in local communities, but the national economy.