K College staff in Tonbridge strike over proposed job cuts

by political editor Paul Francis

Even more jobs could go at the cash-strapped K College, it has emerged.

The college is in financial turmoil and has a multi-million pounds deficit.

Now it has been disclosed that college chiefs are planning to make 168 staff redundant as part of its efforts to rein in the overspend - 23 more than it had said were under threat.

The final tally of jobs axed is likely to be higher once voluntaty redundancies are taken into account.

The crisis facing the college - which has campuses in Folkestone, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford and Dover - has already seen principal Bill Fearon quit his post.

Now governors are piecing together a rescue plan that will secure the backing of the Skills Funding Agency, but the latest proposals envisage even more staff being made redundant.

In a statement outlining its plans to balance the books, the college said it had identified an operating deficit of £6.4m and the yearly turnover had been reduced from £44m to £36m as a result of the merger of South Kent College and West Kent College.

Mr Fearon, who will leave at Christmas, said: "The college continues to focus hard on its priorities which are to provide students with the best possible experiences and to succeed in their qualification or skills training.

"Success rates increased by nearly 5% last year, and we are now launching the new curriculum offer across our six campuses as well as apprenticeships and other work-based training for 2013/14."

The college is likely to have to sell its Folkestone campus, but says it would still run courses in the town. It also insists that plans for new accommodation in Ashford remain a priority.