Colleges have welcomed a funding commitment by the Scottish government as part of efforts to ensure equality in pay and working hours within the sector.
In its indicative funding allocations document, published today, the Scottish Funding Council said it would commit around £10 million in funding for the cost of national bargaining in 2019-20, which would be added to the colleges’ teaching grant.
The SFC stressed this was on top of funds committed for 2018-19. The SFC document says it would increase its core teaching funding grant from £454 million in 2018-19 to £464.1 in 2019-18 - an increase of £10.1 million or 2.2 per cent.
“In [academic year] 2019-20 we are providing an uplift to all college / region teaching allocations (excluding SRUC) to ensure that there are sufficient funds to meet the cost of national bargaining harmonisation / job evaluation requirements,” the document adds. It explains that as this is set out to fund harmonisation and job evaluation, and takes into account the latest information on staff full-time equivalent numbers and salaries, not all colleges or regions would receive the same increase.
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Job evaluation
The SFC adds that within the overall funding available for national bargaining, “around £12.3 million has been identified as the costs associated with support staff and middle management job evaluation in [academic year] 2018-19 and [academic year] 2019-20”. “This is currently an estimated cost as the process of job evaluation is not complete. This element of funding will be held back until there is greater clarity on how these funds should be allocated across the sector.”
The SFC publishes indicative funding allocations for the college and university sectors to enable them to begin their planning for the forthcoming academic year. Final allocations will be announced in May.
Shona Struthers, chief executive of Colleges Scotland, said: “The annual indicative funding allocations for colleges confirm that the Scottish government will continue to fund the national bargaining harmonisation and job evaluation process and the college sector welcomes that commitment. The publication also confirms that colleges continue to operate within a tight financial structure with a reduction in capital and strategic funding.”
She added: “It is good news that student support funding has been increased by approximately £7 million and that every eligible care-experienced student will receive a full £8,100 bursary and HE students from the lowest socio-economic backgrounds will also benefit from increased bursary support.”
SFC chief executive Karen Watt said: “Against a backdrop of increasing funding pressures, the Scottish Funding Council is continuing to invest in learning and teaching and research excellence. We are also committed to ensuring that our students have the right support to allow them to fulfil their potential at the institutions we fund.”
