Staff vote in favour of strike action at University of Sheffield International College

Staff at University of Sheffield International College (USIC) have voted unanimously in favour of strike action.

USIC – which is privately run by education provider Study Group – provides preparatory courses for international students hoping to study at the University of Sheffield.

36 of its staff were recently put at risk of redundancy, with the company citing the financial effects of falling numbers of international students. In response to this, of the 72 per cent to take part in the strike ballot, 100 per cent voted to support the action.

Sam Morecroft, UCU USIC branch chair, said in a statement: “It is clear these redundancies have nothing to do with falling student numbers and everything to do with an attempt to force an untested standardised operating model on our college, which will increase staff workload and reduce the quality of academic and pastoral support our students receive.

“Our members are prepared to strike unless the employer removes the threat of compulsory redundancies. Study Group now needs to begin meaningful negotiations and look at other cost-saving measures to close what it says is only a short-term financial gap.”

Data from the Home Office shows a 16 per cent fall in study visa applications in 2024 compared to the previous year. Internal presentations seen by The Sheffield Tab also show that executives at the University of Sheffield are expecting fewer international students in future years.

A spokesperson for Study Group told The Sheffield Tab that they are “committed to providing an excellent education to international students from around the world”.

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They added: “Like many universities and higher education providers, we need to adapt our staffing to recent changes in international recruitment and regrettably at Sheffield this means reducing employee numbers. We very much regret UCU members at Sheffield International College have made this decision, especially after months of active engagement to try to avoid such an outcome, to a point where compulsory redundancies have been all but avoided.  We will however ensure that any strike action minimises impact on our students and their education.”

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