Further education colleges in Northern Ireland will cut nearly 8,000 student places for the 2026/27 academic year, almost double the originally planned 4,000, according to information presented to Stormont's economy committee. The reductions follow a funding shortfall linked to the absence of an agreed Stormont budget.

Belfast Metropolitan College (BMC) alone is reducing planned enrolments by 2,681, from about 19,100 students to 16,500. Other colleges are also affected: South Eastern Regional College will cut 1,661 places, Northern Regional College 1,370, North West Regional College 1,330, and South West College 706. Southern Regional College expects no significant impact on enrolments.

BMC has reported a £6.8 million reduction in funding compared with the previous year. A spokesperson said the college received contingency funding equating to 94% of last year's budget, but after accounting for other pressures, the shortfall is £6.8 million. The spokesperson added that the college tried to protect qualifications that support progression into employment by consolidating classes rather than withdrawing programmes entirely, but reductions were necessary.

Courses affected include English for Speakers of Other Languages, GCSEs in French and Spanish, GCSE English, evening A-level classes for adults, essential skills classes in English, maths and IT, and community education programmes. Evening leisure courses in DIY joinery, bird watching, jewellery making and Tai Chi have also been cut, reducing work for part-time staff.

Luke McCosker, who left A-levels at school and completed a two-year applied science course at North West Regional College, said the further education environment suited him better because of the emphasis on self-directed learning. He is now studying medicine at Ulster University after completing a computer science degree at Queen's University Belfast. He believes he would not have done as well if he had stayed in school.

Erinn Kerr, who left a full-time journalism job seven years ago to start a jewellery-making business, said protecting such courses is essential. She now has stores in Broughshane and Glenarm in County Antrim and said the flexibility allowed her to balance work with caring responsibilities. She added that many businesses start from kitchen tables and that professional training is often needed beyond internet learning.

Belfast councillor Brian Smyth of the Green Party said he has been contacted by constituents whose classes at BMC were cancelled. He linked the cuts to Stormont's inability to agree a budget and said the impact would fall disproportionately on women returning to work, young people from working-class backgrounds, and adults seeking retraining. He added that the cuts would harm Belfast's future skills pipeline.

Tommy Martin from South Eastern Regional College told the economy committee that about 160 individuals who enrolled this year were unable to be offered a place. The college is also facing a 10% reduction in apprentices compared with last year. He said further education colleges are a significant part of Northern Ireland's skills infrastructure, working with employers to develop the skills the economy needs.

Damian Duffy from Belfast Metropolitan College told the committee that further education colleges are a central part of the skills ecosystem. He said the concern is not just about individual courses but the cumulative effect on learner choice, geographic access, employer provision and the skills pipeline needed by the Northern Ireland economy.