The council has formed a partnership with Leicester College, LSC, and the owners of the Highcross Shopping Development, Hammerson Property Developers (Click here). Their aim is to target such people in an effort to find them employment - in the shape of working in retail in the shopping centre - or to find them training building the shopping centre itself. This way they aim to bring down their unemployment figures. To this aim a job centre of sorts they call the Highcross Development Employment Hub was set up in the centre itself. (Click here).

More recently, and at two days' notice, the Hub was moved into the art studio at Leicester Adult Education College. (Click here). This move came just before the Easter break with staff told to pack and move to the Holy Cross Centre at two days' notice so that the college's art studio could be used to house the Highcross Shopping Centre's Employment Hub. To see a copy of the letter click here.

Staff have since met with Chris Minter, the man responsible for making this decision, and are not impressed by the meeting with the man who claims to have made this decision 'entirely on his own'. With this sort of behaviour, no consultation, no care or respect shown for learners needs and opinions, we can only come to one conclusion: this man is using bullying tactics to get his way. He has even scared staff off from going to the campaign public meeting by sending out an intimidating e-mail stating that:
'I will be attending the advertised public meeting but since there are many proper channels for staff to make their views heard....I do not approve or condone staff becoming involved in such campaigns that threaten direct action.'

WE WANT:

*** The art department restored at Wellington street instead of shifting from location to location, diminishing their resources and weakening their department
*** To keep NON VOCATIONAL courses in the Wellington Street building and for them not to be thrown out and spread across the city in a 'survival of the fittest' tactic
*** Wellington Street to be kept as a strong focus point for adult learning with the location and facilities already there, this building can be kept and developed into a key learning centre for the modern learning needs.
*** Full support with updating our curriculum instead of being set up to fail and 'dumped' because we are seen as out-of-date

JOIN THE FIGHT FOR LEICESTER ADULT EDUCATION COLLEGE!!