NEARLY 20 staff members will be sacked by Warrington and Vale Royal College when its scraps its IT course at the end of term, the University and College Union (UCU) warned today.

The cuts will affect all IT teaching staff, as well as English and maths support workers, the majority of whom are women, the union warned.

The college aims to reduce staffing costs, despite student enrolment being predicted to rise by 10 per cent next year, the UCU said.

In meetings with staff, a senior manager reportedly called support roles a “luxury” that the college could no longer afford and admitted that removing them was a “calculated risk” in terms of student outcomes.

Those affected by the job losses include two UCU reps, while the college’s 14-strong director-level management team remains untouched, the union noted.

UCU general secretary Jo Grady said: “Even if savings are necessary, the college has not fully considered alternative options, including reducing the number of directors or offering voluntary redundancy.

“We are calling on the college principal to immediately reinstate these vital posts and to engage with UCU on how we can work together to consider if savings are indeed needed.”

The college was approached for comment.