Dundee and Angus College is consulting on proposals to stop offering land based courses in horticulture, agriculture and estates skills.

The college claims this is a direct result of a real terms reduction in funding from the Scottish Government. Many of the courses in the firing line are aimed at school leavers who are looking to learn practical skills before going onto further education or into apprenticeships and jobs.

Some of the courses have been running for more than 30 years and if they are scrapped a number of full-time positions will be made redundant as a result.

College principal, Simon Hewitt, said: “The recent Scottish Government funding settlement for the college sector unfortunately represents a real terms reduction of £52m, which for Dundee and Angus College means we must address a funding gap and save over £1.5m from our 2022/23 budget. A broad range of savings proposals have been put forward, one of which is to cease the delivery of horticultural, land-based and estates' skills courses.

“Consultation on these proposals is currently open to all staff, teams and trade unions and we would welcome any feedback during this time. We are extremely disappointed to be in this position as a college and are frustrated at a reduction in funding at a time when Scotland should be investing in education and skills.”

How it works is that after receiving a budget from government, it is down to individual colleges to decide on the courses they run. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Colleges provide a range of courses and varied pathways for learners, responding flexibly to the needs of the communities they serve, and tailoring their offer to the economic needs of the region.

“We are aware of the consultation at Dundee and Angus College and have been in contact with senior leaders about this. We will continue to monitor developments on these proposals. It is for individual colleges, which operate independently of Government, to decide on the shape of their curriculum.”

Land-based learning award body, Lantra, said it was disappointed that closure was on the cards for such land-based courses. Its chief executive, Marcus Potter, said: “Whilst we understand these are challenging times for all colleges, it is disappointing to hear that Dundee and Angus College is considering the removal of its land-based provision.

"Currently, we are experiencing an unprecedented skills shortage across the sector which shows no sign of easing in the immediate future. Alongside this, there is a growing interest in green careers and nature-based skills. We urge the senior management team to engage with the relevant stakeholders, which we would be happy to facilitate.”

Local soft fruit grower, James Porter, of East Scryne Farm, said: “It would be a real shame for the courses to stop as they won't be replaced and they will be gone for good. I understand if the college is under cost pressures, but I wouldn’t want to scrub it all together.

"If the decisions are made on numbers on the courses, then it isn’t fair as it has been a tough couple of years with Covid having a big impact. We should be trying to promote courses like these.

"There is definitely a need for it as we have a clear staffing shortage in agriculture and horticulture at the moment. I know, through my work with Ringlink, the courses act as feeders for our pre apprenticeship places,” he pointed out.