City colleges plan merger to become one of biggest in UK

TWO Edinburgh colleges are to merge to become the second largest in Scotland and one of the biggest in the UK, the Evening News can reveal.

• Stevenson's Brian Lister and Mandy Exley of Jewel & Esk

Stevenson and Jewel & Esk want to form an "Edinburgh city region" college by next summer, but say the move is not connected with funding cuts.

Instead, the colleges say joining forces will allow them to expand further education in the Capital and contribute more than 100 million a year to its economy.

Despite also wanting to get Telford - Edinburgh's third college - on board, the principals today admitted that they had "failed" to win its support.

All three colleges have been involved in a formal collaboration for the past few years as they tried to come up with ways to meet increasing demand for places, but it is understood Telford's principal Miles Dibsdall was reluctant to commit to a full-scale merger just a year after he joined the college.

Together the two colleges will have around 20,000 students. Stevenson College principal Brian Lister described the merger as "common sense".

Mr Lister said: "This is about opportunity and creating an organisation on a larger scale, delivering an even better service to students across the city.

He added: "I do think the three colleges option is the best option. It can't be said that we didn't try to get the third college, but we failed."

Stevenson recently announced plans to cut staff, but has limited this to voluntary redundancies only, with a pledge to safeguard jobs for a year. Jewel & Esk College also revealed redundancy plans last month following a 1.5m cut to its budget.

The boards of management of both colleges have agreed in principle to the creation of the new institution, which would be within the top 20 of UK colleges based on turnover.

A consultation with staff, students and other key stakeholders will start at the end of June and run to September. This will include asking people their views on what the name of the new college should be.

The two principals say their intention is to expand and create new employment, not to cut jobs.

Mandy Exley, principal of Jewel & Esk, said: "My motivation has nothing to do with budgetary constraints. It is so we can spend what we have got to get a faster return and achieve good value for money."

Ms Exley believes the new, larger college will be better placed to offer specific training for business and industry.

She said: "We already do a lot of this individually, but there have been times where one college alone cannot offer exactly what a business wants.

"Together, what we can offer is much stronger - and will allow us to bring in additional income at a time when government grants are under pressure."

PROSPECTUS

Jewel & Esk

Campuses: Milton Road East, Edinburgh, and Dalkeith, Midlothian

Specialist subject areas include: Service industries, engineering and construction, creative industries

Founded: 1903, as Leith Nautical College

Stevenson

Campus: Sighthill, Edinburgh

Specialist subject areas include: Business, administration and languages, creative arts, health and social care, science, sport and engineering

Founded: 1970