OFFICIALS from Scotland's largest public sector trade union are the latest to warn that cuts to colleges will result in the loss of thousands of jobs.

Unison has also told the Scottish Government it believes plans for college mergers along regional lines is more focused on saving money than improving delivery.

The Herald has already revealed fears from Scotland's Colleges, which represents college principals, that some 20,000 college places could be lost as a result of the cuts over the next three years.

Unison warned that, despite Government ambitions to improve the further education sector, hundreds of courses have been cut already.

It said cuts included vocational courses in aeronautical and aircraft engineering, computer animation, digital gaming, greenkeeping and horticulture.

The union said some colleges were also cutting opening hours at a time when a Government-supported review called for longer hours to offer more flexible learning opportunities.

The union said: "Cutting jobs in the education sector will ... add to unemployment which will add costs to the benefit bill and cut spending in the wider economy.

"These cuts are causing pain now and will make it harder for Scotland to escape recession."

The criticism is contained in a memo to the Scottish Government in response to proposed radical reforms to the further education sector that could result in wholesale mergers, with changes expected to be implemented this year.

The memo states: "Scotland's colleges are already cutting jobs and closing courses and the future funding levels set out by the Scottish Government will lead to more We believe that regionalisation could make a difficult situation worse.

"There needs to be increased funding to match the increased demands placed on colleges by Government commitments.

"Shared services are still the default option for improved public service delivery despite the lack of evidence they improve public services or make substantial saving.

"In fact, the experience of most public sector organisations in the UK and internationally is that moving to shared services creates a period of disruption and at best takes five years to make any cost saving."

The union also warned previous attempts to merge colleges had been difficult for staff, with consultation "minimal" and key issues unresolved.

Unison warned: "We are not convinced regionalisation offers the best solution. The crucial role of colleges in supporting people to get the qualifications they need to find and keep work will suffer."

Last year, Finance Secretary John Swinney announced cuts of £74 million to the further education sector by 2014/15, while proposals in a Government consultation to reform post-16 education make reference to the need for legislation to force through a series of mergers.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Despite the Westminster Government's decision to cut Scotland's block grant by more than £3bn over the current Spending Review period, we are committed to improving outcomes for our learners, and in targeting provision better at jobs and growth.

"We are also doing all we can to protect our young people from the threat of unemployment by, for example, prioritising college provision to that end.

"Moreover, only last week, we announced an additional £30m of funding for youth employment and a £15m fund to support and incentivise regionalisation in our colleges.

"We are currently consulting on how best to reform post-16 education in Scotland and are actively engaged with the college sector as we do so."