JOBS and educational out-reach posts could be shed in a Swindon College restructuring programme.

No details have been decided, but deputy principal David Gates confirmed that changes are to take place.

Already, some staff have been interviewed for other posts within the college, and there is a recruitment freeze on outside candidates.

Mr Gates blamed falling demand for certain courses and the increasing popu-larity of others, especially in computing and information technology.

Current locations for college outreach centres include Wootton Bassett , the Link Centre in West Swin-don, Nythe and Swindon Town FC's ground.

Mr Gates said: "We have had a very successful IT pro-gramme in the community over the last four or five years, with four thousand or five thousand students.

"But what we have seen over the last couple of years is a reduction in demand for our main 120-hour course.

"People are wanting short, bite-sized training courses and less of the basic IT training.

"What is happening now is just part of the ever-changing situation.

"What we are trying to do is update the programme to meet the needs of the community."

The deputy principal said it was too early to discuss the impact of the changes in great detail.

He was unable to say, for example, whether certain centres might be closed or merged, or whether all of the staff affected would be redeployed or face possible redundancy.

Mr Gates added: "We are having to look at the reorganisation in terms of staff.

"At the moment, we have various vacancies in the college, and we are freezing recruitment while this process goes through.

"We may also combine some of our sites.

"The aim is not to reduce what is offered to the community, but the demand for these courses is in decline."