Cardiff Metropolitan University has confirmed it is making between 30 and 50 compulsory redundancies on top of recent job losses through voluntary severance. The university said that like other universities it is facing financial pressure and "difficult decisions" must be made.

Cardiff Met posted a deficit of just over £3.m deficit in the year ending July 2024, its most recent financial report published at the start of this year shows. That report also cited a drop in numbers of international students, rising costs and static home fees - all pressures affecting other institutions.

In a statement the university, which has campuses in Llandaff and Cyncoed, said: “Like so many universities across the UK, Cardiff Metropolitan University is experiencing financial challenges, with our current costs exceeding our income. We have already carried out a wide range of activity to support us in meeting this financial challenge, while remaining focused on delivering an excellent student experience and outcomes, and making a positive difference to all of the communities we serve.

“To be well positioned for a successful and sustainable future, we, like all universities, need to make some difficult decisions. We have recently closed a final voluntary severance scheme, which, alongside a range of other measures aimed at reducing our pay and non-pay costs, has helped minimise the number of compulsory redundancies we need to make.

“However, we must still make further reductions to our recurrent cost base and have this week started collective consultation with our recognised trades unions on restructuring proposals. This consultation will genuinely seek the unions’ and our colleagues’ collective feedback before any proposals are finalised.

"We are encouraging staff to share their views and access the range of support we have made available during this unsettling and difficult time.”

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The university said it has tried to keep compulsory redundancies to a minimum. Staff had been "critical in supporting our financial recovery programme" and their actions had saved jobs but between 30 and 50 were still needed .

"It has not been an easy journey, but their collective efforts in reducing non-pay costs and achieving a strong student recruitment round, plus our active management of staff vacancies and three voluntary severance schemes, have mitigated against the number of compulsory redundancies we need to make. This means that subject to the outcome of the consultation, and the remaining staff approved for voluntary severance signing their settlement agreements, we are expecting between 30 and 50 FTE (full-time equivalent) staff to need to leave the university through compulsory redundancy."

Cardiff Met currently has 1,658 staff(1484 FTE) and around 11,300 students at its Cardiff campuses. Staff have been briefed on the cuts and the university has begun collective consultation with recognised trade unions..

The university said it can't share any more detail at this stage but confirmed it is not proposing to close any subject areas, and that staff from across both academic and professional services will be part of the collective consultation.

The news comes as Cardiff University staff threaten industrial action including a marking boycott and strike over proposed 355 job cuts and entire department closures there. Bangor University announced earlier this year it is looking to shed around 200 jobs and the University of South Wales is consulting on 90 job losses.

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