Angus and Dundee colleges have been warned they will face union opposition to any forced job cuts resulting from a planned merger.
The colleges have announced they will be coming together to create a single college with around 1,200 employees and an annual budget of £40 million. The process is expected to take more than a year to complete.
The merger has been brought about by a drive towards regionalisation in the further education sector, which the Scottish Government believes will lead to greater efficiency and accountability.
Kish Srinivasan, the recently-appointed head for the Dundee and Angus region, said: ”Learners have always come first for both colleges and their interests will remain at the forefront as we strive together to create the best possible opportunities for our communities in the future.”
But the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), which represents college lecturers, said it was concerned its members might find themselves facing job losses.
A spokesman said: ”Any potential merger of FE (further education) colleges must be supported by a clear educational rationale and not driven by a cost-cutting agenda.
”The EIS would oppose any suggestion of compulsory redundancies as a potential result of this, or any other, college merger.”
The two colleges spent the summer working with business services group KPMG to draw up proposals on how to take forward the government’s regionalisation agenda.
The options under consideration were a full-blown merger and a looser federation that would have seen them share some resources but retain their independent identities.
Both boards of governors met last week and decided to pursue the merger.
An Angus College statement explained: “In following this route, the colleges will seek to build on the current strengths of both institutions, continue to serve the educational needs of their diverse communities, improve the student experience, recognise the commitment of their highly professional and motivated staff and operate within Government funding guidelines.
“Over the next few months, supported by the Scottish Funding Council, the two colleges will work together in order to plan and progress the necessary next steps in the process.”
A spokesman for Dundee College said: “While this decision is momentous, we are only approaching the starting blocks in terms of sorting out the fine details of full merger. The Scottish Funding Council estimates that it takes a minimum of 14 months to complete a merger of this sort.
“Once this is certain, however, staff at all locations will be working hard to ensure that all college stakeholders, students, employers, parents and schools continue to be offered the best possible service.
“Both organisations have long tradition of service to the community which will not be compromised by any change in status but will be enhanced even further.”
Dundee College operates from two campuses in the city, at Kingsway and Gardyne Road, while Angus College is based in Arbroath and operates outreach centres in Forfar, Montrose, Brechin and Kirriemuir.
The FE sector in Scotland has been under significant pressure, with budget cuts leading to a squeeze on staff numbers and a reduction in the number of student places and courses available.
Dundee College’s financial report for the year to July 2011 shows it had a £2.5 million deficit on its £31 million turnover. It reduced employee numbers by over 100 to fewer than 800. Angus College had a turnover of £13 million for the same year and employed just over 400 people.