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Agency staff cost Sandwell College £350k in just ONE year

Almost £350,000 was forked out on agency staff by Sandwell College in the space of one year.

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Spending on temporary workers there has gone up by almost 20 per cent in four years.

New figures show the college spent £344,294 on agency workers over the last financial year - up from £278,544 in 2009/10.

The increase comes as student admissions at the college continue to rise, with almost twice as many full-time 16 to 18-year-olds this year than four years ago and bosses say they have used agency staff to ensure that are enough teachers for classes.

A spokesman for the college said: "As is common with all colleges and businesses, where we have temporary staffing requirements we use agency staff.

"We always put our learners first and cannot leave classes uncovered."

He added: "Whilst this (increase in agency spend) is the case, it has to be set against the background that the number of of full time 16 - 18-year-old most doubled."

Most of the agency spend was in the automotive and electronic department, £118,927. Second highest was in health and social care, £43,628.

In the health and safety department, the college spent £38,925.

A total of £22,394 was spent on agency staff working in the study link department, which offers support to students developing independent learning skills.

Rates for agency worker are generally higher than college staff.

Last month, it was revealed the college's board of governors were introducing tighter controls on spending after agreeing for a loan of up to £2million.

It was after governors were told the college was £592,000 in the red at the end of May, partly down to the spending on the Sixth Form centre at The Public.

Since then, however, the college has received cash from the sale of land at its former Smethwick Campus, and almost £2million in funding after recruiting a record number of students.

Bosses aim to move the college financial health indicator from satisfactory to good over the next two years.

The college now operates at two big centres in West Bromwich - the £77 million Central Campus opened in 2012 and Sixth Form centre at The Public, which opened in September.

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