Higher education merger ‘absolutely needs to happen’
INTEGRATING the College of Further Education, the Institute of Health & Social Care Studies and the GTA University Centre would be far more cost-effective, the chairman of the college’s board of governors has said.
Julian Winser added that it would also help the island meet the demands of industry in the future.
He was speaking after it was announced that a working group is to be formed to find ways of bringing about a merger.
Mr Winser said that would bring many benefits.
‘We have been wanting this for quite a number of years,’ he said.
‘It’s gaining momentum. It absolutely needs to happen. We must have a scale that provides excellence, that attracts teachers.
‘The curriculum must be demand-led and there’s huge demand for IT programming, we need people to be highly trained.
‘It’s unacceptable that we have five campuses and have had no money spent on them in years. The older buildings need more maintenance, so fewer buildings will be far more cost-effective.
‘I think it’s great and should have happened a long time ago – this group of deputies seem to want to see it through.’
The working group will progress a resolution agreed by the States in January as part of the debate on the future of secondary and post-16 education.
It will report back to Education, Sport & Culture on aims that include proposing structural changes that would be necessary and identifying any risks as well as additional resources to realise integration.
They will also plan a staff engagement schedule to ensure appropriate involvement of staff and their representatives pre-and-post integration.
