UNION bosses are urging the directors of a college in St Helens to halt plans to cut 22 staff from a pool of 76 teachers at risk of redundancy.

The University and College Union (UCU) slammed SK College Group – which runs St Helens College and Knowsley Community College – for its plans to axe 22 staff from a pool of 76 teachers it has put at risk of redundancy.

The plans are the fourth round of redundancies in just 12 months.

Union bosses say the plans would mean almost one in ten (8.8 per cent) teachers across the college would go, including in accounting, science, engineering and sport.

They would also see over half the teachers in computing sacked.

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According to the union, the college is making the cuts to “maximise efficiency” and create 11 “progress coaches”.

UCU adds that the college's mission statement says it aims to make sure “each individual is respected, valued and safeguarded as part of an enjoyable, supportive and caring learning and working environment”.

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St Helens College

The union said a fourth set of job cuts in less than 12 months threatened to cause serious damage to students and to educational opportunities across the region.

It said if managers want to live up to the college’s professed vision then they need to immediately halt these cuts and concentrate on supporting staff, and creating a caring learning and working environment.

UCU’s members are meeting on Tuesday, June 29 to decide how to fight this latest round of job cuts.

UCU regional official Martyn Moss said: "Putting a further 76 teachers at risk of redundancy after already sacking staff in three sets of redundancies this year points to a failure of management.

"The college says it wants to create a caring learning and working environment, but getting rid of expert teachers doesn’t sound like a good way to improve learning.

"The college says it wants to support students into good jobs at the same time as halving provision in essential skills like computing. Management appear to have no strategy other than sacking more and more staff.

‘The college needs to immediately reverse these plans and work with UCU to build a proper strategy to protect jobs and create a caring learning environment.

"If it refuses to so, staff are determined to fight these cuts."

In response, a statement from SK College Group read: “It is regrettable that the college has had to serve notice of a number of redundancies; however, new academic posts have been created that we anticipate will be filled by staff currently at risk.

"The college is committed to ensuring our students are supported and nurtured to exceed their ambitions and goals and the new roles will focus purely on supporting our students to succeed, and enhancing their wider curriculum experiences whilst in our care.

"We are now in consultation with the staff affected and the trade unions and will do everything we can to mitigate against job losses.”