Shipley College has been forced to ask for voluntary redundancies because of cuts in Government education funding. College bosses have written to every member of staff calling for volunteers to go as it attempts to make overall savings of about three per cent. A spokesman for Shipley College refused to say exactly how much that figure represents. College principal Nav Chohan said: “We know there will be some reductions in funding. We don’t know the extent of it but we are getting prepared for that and if anybody would like to leave college, we are just looking to reduce the costs. “If it suits people to leave the college, then it’s an opportunity for us to do that. “The last thing we would want to do is get to the position where we need to make compulsory redundancies.” Julie Kelley, University and College Union regional official for Yorkshire and the Humber, said she would discuss with the college’s management team ways of reducing costs without affecting staffing. She said: “Clearly, the UCU are very well aware of the cuts the Government has imposed on further education colleges as a consequence of the comprehensive spending review and it is going to be very difficult. What we are having to make sure of is employers don’t make a knee-jerk reaction. “Our priority would be to make sure that the college looks at all methods of reducing its costs and not just those that are to do with staffing.” Mr Chohan said funding cuts were affecting the entire education sector. However, Shipley College will have to make about three per cent in savings on staff because of the funding cuts. He said: “The whole package is very complicated because we have so many different funding streams, it’s very difficult to know precisely where it’s going to end up. “We are hoping to be in a much clearer picture over the next couple of months.”