City of Wolverhampton College sees surge in interest despite cuts
The City of Wolverhampton College is experiencing a surge in interest from prospective students, its principal said today, despite the announcement that 95 workers' jobs are under threat.
College boss Mark Robertson said a record number of people attended an open day last Saturday, with nearly 400 turning up.
It comes as the college continues to consult with the University and College union (UCU) and Unison about plans to lose 95 members of staff to save £3 million this academic year.
The threat of redundancies, which includes 36 lecturers, coincides with an ongoing review of the future of The Cedars Horticultural Centre, in Compton Road West.
The proposed loss of lecturers could mean horticulture is dropped altogether at the college. The site is one of the largest providers of horticulture and floristry courses in the Midlands. Any other potential loss of teaching staff would see changes in the way courses are delivered, rather than those curricula being lost completely.
Mr Robertson said today: "We do not expect to be reducing the range of courses offered by the college, except those in horticulture. Indeed, we are looking to expand our range of courses to meet demand.
"The college is improving fast and we are experiencing a surge in interest from prospective students. A very successful open day held on Saturday saw record numbers of people attending, with nearly 400 potential applicants coming through our doors."
He said employers were showing strong interest in working closely with the college, which has 760 employees at sites in Paget Road, Compton; Wellington Road, Bilston; Metro One and Newhampton Centre in Whitmore Reans.
