MEMBERS of Further Education Trade Unions gathered at the gates of Pembrokeshire College on Wednesday as part of an all-Wales protest over proposed 50 per cent funding cuts to adult education in the country next year.

These cuts are on top of an ‘efficiency’ cut of 2.6 per cent to college budgets due to take effect next year.

The cuts, announced for the academic year beginning in September, will severely reduce the opportunities available for adults, many of whom are ‘second chance’ learners returning to education later on in their lives to improve their job prospects.

As well as cutting course provision, colleges are reducing the number of staff to meet the hole in the budgets following the Welsh Government's announcement.

There will be an average 6.14 per cent budget cut at Wales’ 15 colleges between 2014/15 and 2015/16 but that smaller percentage masks the much more savage cut to courses for those over 19 years of age, which will bear the brunt of savings.

Speaking at the demonstration, University and College Union (UCU) rep Steve Quinton said: “The effect on courses is going to be slightly more than the 2.6 per cent, we’ll have less time for teaching staff to teach students.”

He added: “We’re in a redundancy process at the moment in the tens, which started in late February, and will kick in for September for 2015-16.

“Pretty much all learners will have less contact time with staff, with part-time more than full time, adults coming back into learning, people who want to return for a new career, they’re going to really struggle to afford courses.”

Anne Hammond of UNISON said: “It’s a dreadful situation to be in, with so many voluntary redundancies and loss of funding. We’ve lost so much with the loss of Murco and South Hook, it’s like Pembrokeshire is dying; it’s devastating for Pembrokeshire.”