The reduction in course numbers came about due to an immense f##k up by the management in the college. If I recall correctly they were warned by the instructors and students that the shift system in the college would never work due to a number of factors. The main one being a severe lack of instructors mainly on the area side where most of the students are destined. Two retired and another two who were on secondment from LACC left because they felt that their views as valid ATCO's wern't being taken seriously enough by those who haven't controlled a proper aeroplane in years! But I digress.
The second reason it didn't work is that there wasn't enough areodrome OJT places them. It was bad enough finding places for twenty odd people let alone forty as they now had, which led to people holding without licences and thus sitting on their backsides doing naff all.
The third reason was money. When they worked the figures they found it too expensive by the time they paid shift allowence to the students, instructors, blip drivers, kitchen staff etc etc. I think they put the figure at around an extra million pounds a year in wage bills alone!! And they forgot to tell the airline group this when they tool over. Whoops.
So all is not sunny in Bournemouth!!!!