New report says more to be done following SSI closure
A new report from the SSI task force says even though jobs have been created, there needs to be more well paid jobs and prospects for everyone
Two years on from the SSI closure that saw 3,000 jobs lost on Teesside - a new report says there's still more to be done.
The SSI task force say that 1800 jobs have been created since the closure, and three hundred people have even started their own businesses.
More than 23,000 training courses have been taken up, with £9 million invested in the re-training programme.
Redcar MP Anna Turley said:
“The legacy report from the SSI Taskforce is a reminder of the huge blow the collapse of our steelworks dealt to the Teesside economy and family livelihoods.
“The cost of closure on families, on businesses, and on the taxpayer has since far outstripped the funding that would have maintained the blast furnace and kept the profitable coke ovens going. If only the government had thought of that when they opted for a hard closure.
“Many workers have since found new employment, with some real success stories. But lots of families have also seen their standard of living drop. Weekly salaries in Redcar & Cleveland have gone from being some of the highest in our region before the closure to now being some of the lowest. Some people continue to suffer severe financial difficulties, unable to pay mortgages and loans that their former salaries would have easily covered.
“The funding secured by the SSI Taskforce has helped to soften some of the blow, supporting workers into training for new sectors or helping them to set up their own businesses. The Safety Net Fund has also been invaluable when people suddenly found themselves and their family finances in crisis. But that work continues, and has been made worse by further redundancies at other industries like Boulby potash.
“The only way our area will fully recover from that catastrophe is to bring new jobs which will raise living standards. Some of those are starting to arrive, at projects like the MGT power plant and the Sirius Minerals mine. The masterplan for the SSI site could deliver many more if it receives the full funding it needs. If we really are to have an industrial renaissance then the government must pull out all of the stops to negotiate with the Thai banks and get the regeneration work moving."
Amanda Skelton, Chair of the SSI Task Force and Chief Executive of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said:
“In the two years since the devastating closure of SSI the work of the Task Force has continued to help people move back into work, train for new careers and start new businesses.
“Our focus is now on creating a long-term sustainable economy with better, well paid jobs and prospects for everyone.
"We want to build on the success of the business start-up scheme, which has already seen over 315 people take the brave step of starting a new venture, by widening this opportunity to others across the Tees Valley encouraging that entrepreneurial spirit across the whole area. Our investments will also make sure we have the right business premises and support in place to help people to succeed and prosper."