Former SSI apprentice says he's 'lucky' to have new job
19-year-old Adam Ward only had six months of his apprenticeship to complete when the company went into liquidation.
The first SSI apprentice to find work through funding from the Task Force says he's lucky to have found a new employer.
Adam Ward, of Ingleby Barwick, had only six months left of his electrician training when the company went into liquidation.
He's now employed by Fasset FM Services at the Wilton Centre, and is due to finish his training in July.
The 19-year-old said: " I was really worried about the future and that years of hard work were going to go to waste after the steelworks closed as I was nearing the completion of my apprenticeship.
"I can hardly believe that I have managed to find a job at another company so quickly."
It's part of a £1.7 million fund created by the Task Force to encourage employers to take on one or more of the 50 ex-SSI apprentices.
It provides employers with a full salary and training costs.
Adam was visited at the Wilton Centre by Skills Minister Nick Boles who was in the region to see how former SSI workers are being retrained.
He said: "Losing your job is a real blow, it's a knock back.
"It causes anyone to question their value and to lose self-esteem.
"What's really great to see is this positive attitude and determination."
The minister also made a trip to training provider TTE, which is overseeing the assessment of half a dozen youngsters who were due to start their apprenticeships at SSI in October.
The Task Force have managed to get all six Year 1 SSI apprentices back into training and are currently working to find new employers for the 50 Year 3 and 4 apprentices.