A SCOTTISH college is to axe jobs as part of moves to plug a £1 million funding gap.

Officials from Glasgow Clyde College said financial pressures - including the rising cost of pension contributions - had forced them to look at voluntary redundancies.

A joint statement from David Newall, the college chair, and Jon Vincent, the principal, highlighted a recent report by Audit Scotland which warned of financial pressures facing the sector.

READ MORE: No let-up for colleges as job threats follow funding cuts and pay strikes 

The spending watchdog said earlier this month that most of Scotland’s colleges were facing “recurring financial deficits” within four years.

Audit Scotland said there was a “widening gap” between income and spending, with a one per cent rise in public funds this year barely covering a staff pay deal, which followed widespread industrial action across the country.

READ MORE: College safety fears as sector heads for deficit

The statement from Mr Newall and Mr Vincent said: “In their recent annual report Audit Scotland refer to significantly increasing challenges for the financial health of colleges, arising from static funding levels and rapidly increasing costs.

“At Glasgow Clyde College we are not immune from these challenges which are impacting on all colleges.

“Due to issues and decisions outside of the college’s control we are required to absorb an additional £1 million of costs in the year ahead without any additional Government funding.”

The statement said the extra costs included an unfunded £500,000 increase in employer contributions for the teachers’ pension scheme.

The statement added: “We have ambitious plans to grow our commercial income. However, these will not fully address the gap between our income and expenditure in the years ahead.

“Therefore, the board of management are committed to work alongside the senior leadership team to develop further plans for income generation together with a programme of cost savings.

“Given the scale of the savings required it is unavoidable that we will need to find more efficient ways of working, reduce our staff numbers and non-staff costs to ensure the long-term financial health of the college.”

READ MORE: College staff accept pay deal after walkouts

The college said it would commit to only reducing staff numbers through voluntary means whenever possible.

The statement added: “The college will work with its recognised trade unions to identify how these cost-savings will be achieved.

“We are not alone in this situation, with colleges across Scotland needing to make significant and swift changes to safeguard their financial futures.”

A spokesman for the Educational Institute of Scotland’s Further Education Lecturers’ Association called for the college to avoid compulsory redundancies.

He said: “Pressure on college finances to support learning and teaching is a recurring theme across the sector.

“Scotland’s colleges play a vital role in supporting lifelong learning and are particularly important in providing opportunities for adult returners to education.

“We believe greater investment is needed in our colleges and would call on Scottish Government to better support the sector.”

Glasgow Clyde College was created in 2013 following the mergers of Anniesland College, Cardonald College and Langside College.

The Audit Scotland report said the Scottish Government increased its funding for the sector by 1 per cent in 2019/20 to cover a £50m pay rise for staff.

However, general capital funding for Scotland’s colleges has been cut from £33.6m in 2018/19 to £21m this financial year. Backlogged maintenance will also cost an estimated £77m posing “a potential risk” to “safe environments”.