Wales in education crisis: jobs slashed as recession hits education

With nearly 400 jobs already at risk or being axed in Wales, the union further warned that the figures may be just the tip of the iceberg and that cuts to the Assembly Government budget risk undermining Wales' economic recovery.

The report prepared by the University and College Union found that in Wales:

• between 350 and 400 jobs are at risk at universities and colleges
• 226 jobs are under threat in higher education
• more than 150 jobs are at risk in further education colleges
• all types of institutions are making redundancies, including Cardiff University (a member of the Russell Group) and Coleg Gwent (a further education college serving one of the poorest parts of Wales).

Peter Jones, Chair of Wales UCU Cymru said: 'These figures make grim reading and sadly they look like just the tip of the iceberg. Wales can't afford job losses of this kind when we are already behind in the prosperity league table. Losing skilled lecturing staff in our universities and in our colleges will just stall our economic recovery.

'Ministers have to act by clearly stating that higher and further education will be priorities when the next Assembly budget is published. If they don't then their plans for the transformation agenda and for higher education will be dead in the water. They can't be done on the cheap and they can't be built on the backs of redundant lecturers.'

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Universities and colleges need to understand that our members will not sit idly by while their jobs or those of colleagues are axed. All institutions that are considering slashing jobs need to make a clear, transparent case for the losses and start speaking to us immediately.'

The full report confirmed that the cuts are having an impact throughout the UK and at all types of institutions and can be found at:  Universities and colleges cutting education jobs in a recession, Jul 09 [243kb]

Redundancies are planned for the following Welsh institutions:

Higher education
Cardiff University
Lampeter University

Further education
Barry College
Bridgend College
Coleg Gwent
Coleg Sir Gar
Gorseinon College
Pembrokeshire College
Swansea College
Yale College

Key figures:

• Total jobs = 5,891
• Further education = 1,298
• Higher education = 4,593
• Jobs at risk in London = 2,165
• London further education = 132
• London higher education = 2,033
• 106,038 students affected - based on student:staff ratio of 18:1 (conservative estimate as SSR higher in further education)