COLLEGES are providing a worse all-round service for students than they were before a merger programme, according to frontline staff.
Initial findings from a survey by Unison, the trade union, show two thirds of support staff believe services have declined.
Seven out of 10 link it to the Scottish Government's "regionalisation" plan, which has seen widespread mergers across the country.
Staff morale is low, the survey suggests, with 79 per cent saying they feel "negative" or "extremely negative" about their roles.
More than nine out of 10 believed the further education sector was underfunded.
Unison questioned 266 support staff in 16 colleges across Scotland.
They included a wide range of staff in key roles for students' all-round experience of college, including welfare officers, careers advisers, librarians, administrators, security staff, cleaners and caterers.
Across the FE sector, more than 7000 people work in support roles, more than the number in teaching roles.
Unison said the Scottish Government's merger programme, which has gone hand in hand with a dramatic reduction in the numbers of students pursuing college courses, had added to long-standing problems.
Chris Greenshields, chairman of Union's further education committee said: "College staff have delivered a damning verdict on the state of our further education sector.
"These survey results are shocking but they reflect what Unison have been saying for many years.
"Staff say services are in decline as a result of underfunding and with experienced staff leaving.
"The Scottish Government's college merger programme is just making matters much worse, with no encouraging signs for the future."
He added: "The sector urgently needs a shot in the arm with additional ring fenced funding for staff to reverse the decline.
"Unless Scottish Government intervene it will be young students and those returning to education who will lose out."
Unison plans to publish a full report, based on the survey, next month.
Among other findings, 85 per cent of support staff said services should be provided in-house, rather than be contracted out to private companies.
Unison recently highlighted the case of the "Canteen 13," a group of catering staff at Glasgow Kelvin College who are facing compulsory redundancy next week as the college's campus winds down before closing next year.
The group was transferred to a private company, Elior, two years ago.
John Gallagher, Unison's Scottish organiser said: "College managers should take note of this before embarking on any more outsourcing.
"The case of the so called Canteen 13 at Glasgow Kelvin College is a case in point.
"Some of these canteen staff have worked for over 25 years serving students until catering services which were privatised, losing any entitlements they had to enhanced pay or protection."
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "Thanks to the talent, commitment and energy of college leaders and their staff, we have seen huge progress on college reform - reforms which were designed to give a sharper focus on helping young people into jobs and the skills our economy needs to grow.
"In each of the last three years, we have exceeded our target to maintain the number of full time equivalent places and improved the learner experience.
"The reform programme is ongoing and we'll continue to work with the Scottish Funding Council and colleges to realise the full benefits."
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