Greenock college warns of almost 100 job losses

Almost 100 jobs are under threat at one of Scotland’s largest colleges as a result of funding cuts. Rosetta Stone Staff at James Watt College, in Greenock, have been told up to 75 full-time teaching posts could be lost, as well as 24 support workers. The areas likely to be hit include departments of creative industries, business development, aeronautical and engineering, business and computing and social sciences. The cuts are likely to impact on all the college's campuses in Greenock, Kilwinning and Largs which employ a total of 360 teaching staff. Officials said the job losses were a direct result of funding cuts, rising VAT and reduced commercial income, which has combined to create a shortfall of nearly 6 million. Campus unions argued the proposed job losses would decimateeducation at the college. They also warned against compulsory redundancies. It comes just Rosetta Stone Cheap days after officials from the board of a local regeneration company wrote to the Scottish Government to protest over a 70% cut in funding. Riverside Inverclyde, a public-private sector initiative that aims to create employment in Greenock and Port Glasgow, has had its public funding cut from 9.5m to 2.9m. Sue Pinder, principal of the college, told staff: I wish we were not facing such severe cuts and would rather they could be avoided, but they can't. Ms Pinder said in cash terms the college would receive 3.7m less, with an additional reduction in funding for buildings of 685,000. She added: Our aim is to protect and invest in high-quality learning, eliminate over-staffing by removing those programmes for which there is low demand and those that do not meet our exacting Rosetta Stone French V3 quality indicators. Craig Muncie, of the EIS union, said: The college says the cuts are designed to create headroom for growth and new skills, as well as to protect and invest in a high quality curriculum. Last year, lecturers passed a motion of no confidence in Ms Pinder after claiming they were not being given rights Rosetta Stone Languages to participate in contract talks.