Up to 50 lecturers' jobs are set to go at Keighley College as it struggles with a £1 million shortfall.

But college principal David Gates insisted the move was part of an ambitious plan to provide the best possible service for students at a new £25 million campus in Dalton Lane.

"Our vision of a world class college, with world class staff remains our goal but change is essential if this is to be achieved successfully.

"We need to ensure our workforce has the skills to meet future learners' and employers' needs for education and training in the town and Airedale," he said.

Staff were called to a meeting last Friday and told the redundancies would be compulsory.

One staff member said: "People were genuinely stunned. There have been rumours but nothing on the scale of £1 million."

An investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement is under way. There have been reports that a manager has been sacked.

College governors met on Monday about the proposed cuts.

Chairman Pam Essler said: "We are very much aware on an individual basis that it is very worrying for members of staff but we are also very supportive of the changes management are having to make.

"Colleges nationally have to review what they do because the amount of funding being put into education is limited."

Mr Gates said the decision to axe jobs was a "very serious step" but in consideration of the learners of the future and use of public funds.

He said: "Our students get the highest level of service and we want to maintain that reputation. We have to restructure.

"We have started a six-week consultation period.

"We will do everything we can to minimise the impact on staff and no student on a current course will be affected by these changes."

He added there was a chance extra funding could be brought in before the financial year-end in July to reduce the £1 million debt.

Pat Hodgson, regional support officer for NATFHE, said union members found it really unhelpful that the announcement had been made just before the Easter holidays without prior consultation.

"Staff will now spend the Easter break worrying about what's going to happen when they get back.

"We are also very concerned about the effect so many job losses will have on such a small college and the provision of services."

She said NATFHE would be holding meetings early next term with the view to launching a campaign to oppose the redundancies.

Demolition work has already started at the college on the Dalton Lane annex, which will be replaced by a state-of-the-art new development in 2007.