UHI colleges 'starved' of funding claims GMB Scotland

A union claims colleges in the north of Scotland are being "starved" of cash due to the way the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) funds them.

GMB Scotland said UHI took a 35% slice of student income, about £13m a year, to pay for central services for the partnership of colleges, research institutes and learning centres.

The union said more money should go to the colleges to help protect jobs, including UHI Inverness where about 38 posts are under threat.

UHI Inverness said the partnership model allowed it to share expertise and resources.

Last month, the Inverness college launched a voluntary severance scheme to reduce annual staffing costs by about £2m.

GMB Scotland said jobs at UHI's seven colleges could be better protected with "greater financial support".

Keir Greenaway, GMB Scotland senior organiser, said: "The situation in Inverness is only the most recent and graphic illustration of a broken funding system that is unfit for purpose and demands to be overhauled urgently.

"Every centralised function of UHI must be transparent and justified and the default position must be that money is directed to the campuses where students are being taught."

UHI Inverness said it worked as part of the wider UHI partnership to deliver education, skills and opportunities for its students and communities.

A spokesperson said: "We recognise the significant financial pressures facing colleges and universities across Scotland.

"UHI's partnership model enables us to work collaboratively, sharing service expertise and resources to support delivery across our region."

The college said it was working collaboratively through a UHI-wide transformation programme to strengthen how it operated.

The spokesperson added: "We remain committed to working collaboratively with our staff, students and trade unions as we take this work forward."