Mogers Drewett, the Bath based law firm, which recently advised City of Bath College on its merger with Norton Radstock College, is citing ‘positive and constructive cooperation’ between the firm, colleges and their unions as the reason anticipated heavy compulsory redundancies were avoided.
The Mogers Drewett commercial team advised on the employment and HR aspects of the merger, which completed on 7th April. The new Bath College is now fully operational and employs around 650 staff, making it one of the largest employers and further education providers in the region.
The Employment and HR experts from Mogers Drewett took advantage of recent reforms in employment legislation to enable Bath College to undertake a significant amount of industrial relations related work prior to the merger. This innovative approach provided Bath College with the opportunity to maximise the positive effects of the merger and to minimise disruption to students and staff.
“This was a very significant project for us and we are proud of our involvement in such an important project for the region,” explains Sean McDonough, Partner – Employment & HR at Mogers Drewett. “We provided advice and assistance on the employment and HR implications of the merger and subsequent workforce restructuring that has taken place. We were delighted that Bath College wanted to utilise the changes in employment legislation to achieve the merger. The strategy adopted required a significant amount of work on behalf of the college’s Senior Management Team and positive and constructive cooperation from the college’s trade union representatives and I am delighted to say that both were in abundance throughout the process. The outcome being that the newly formed college was very quickly able to provide a stable platform for its staff and students. The high number of compulsory redundancies that were being mooted in the press prior to the merger have been avoided and it was great for Mogers Drewett to be involved in such a positive outcome for the region.“
Mogers Drewett were appointed to assist in the merger in preference to a national law firm that had previously represented the college in relation to employment projects. “We have worked with the college in recent years on property issues,” continues Sean McDonough, “But we were able to prove to the college that we could deliver much greater value and a far more responsive service for the merger, as well as bringing to bear our understanding and commitment to the local community. This meant we were focussed throughout on minimising any negative implications for local people.”
Matt Atkinson, Principal at Bath College added “We are delighted that the merger was handled so well, and with a great many jobs secured. Bath College is not only committed to delivering the highest levels of teaching and training for students, we also strive to support the local business community and work with local suppliers where we can. However, while Mogers Drewett are indeed a local firm on our doorstep, they also proved they could deliver the highest levels of service and value throughout the merger process.”
The ‘bigger and better’ Bath College has a City Centre Campus in Avon Street, Bath, and the Somer Valley Campus in South Hill Park, Westfield. As well as employing around 730 staff, the college provides vocational and educational training for more than 3,000 full-time students and around 10,000 part-time students across the broadest range of subjects.