College places in the North-east are likely to be cut this year, while voluntary severance may also be considered, as budget pressures take their toll.
North-east Scotland College (NESCol) delivers around 6,000 full-time courses across the region, but funding constraints have meant the college has already been forced to cut the number of full-time places.
There were around 300 fewer places in the current academic year compared to the previous, and it's likely that number will be less come the 2024/25 academic year.
Nearly 40% of school leavers in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire went to NESCol, but in an email from college principal Neil Cowie, he warns the budget cut will limit the flow of people entering the region's workforce at a "crucial time".
Nescol likely to cut full-time college places after budget pressures (pressandjournal.co.uk)