'There are no plans for redundancies at UHI Inverness'

In a statement issued today, Professor Chris O’Neil, Principal and Chief Executive of UHI Inverness, said: “Following news reporting that gave the inaccurate impression that jobs were currently under threat at our campuses, I want to make it clear that neither UHI Inverness nor our students will be impacted by the budget cuts at UHI’s Executive Office and there are no plans for redundancies at UHI Inverness.

“UHI Inverness is an independent and high-performing institution and, although we operate as part of the wider UHI partnership, our finances are entirely separate from UHI’s Executive Office. This current issue will not affect our staff and students, nor the education and student support that UHI Inverness delivers at the main college campus and at the Scottish School of Forestry at Balloch.

“Media reporting regarding cuts in other parts of the UHI partnership has caused unease amongst our staff, students and communities. We have taken steps to reassure them that UHI Inverness has entered this new academic year from a position of strength, stability and positivity. Our student numbers remain robust, our academic standards and our student satisfaction is high, and we continue to be a trusted partner with businesses across the Highlands. Our duty is to our communities, to provide the support and benefits of the education and services my exceptional colleagues offer, and our healthy position and standing enable this.

“The nature of the UHI partnership means that we value our connections with the staff at UHI’s Executive Office and we appreciate that this current difficult situation is a source of concern for them.”