Four thousand ex-Rover staff back in work

A total of 4,000 former MG Rover workers in England have found new jobs since the car maker collapsed last year, according to an official report today.

The UK government-appointed Task Force said in its final report that 100 people had found work every week since last April, mostly in full-time jobs.

The Government announced a new £2m package to continue helping former Rover workers find alternative employment.

Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson said: “It is good news that 4,000 ex-Rover employees are back in work, but there is still a lot of work to do.

“Our aim is that through Jobcentre Plus, the Learning and Skills Council and Advantage West Midlands the remainder will also soon be back in work.”

The initiative will target the 1,850 former MG Rover workers who are still unemployed and will provide support in tackling barriers to work such as help with job searches, childcare, CV and interview techniques.

It will begin next month and over the next few months will be rolled out to all those former workers who need help.

To address longer-term skills issues, the Task Force has also agreed to allocate £3m to create a vocational training centre for 14 to 19-year-olds in the Longbridge area, where the car factory was based.

In addition, Birmingham and Bromsgrove Councils said they would prepare plans to redevelop the vacant parts of Longbridge with the hope of seeing even more people employed on the site than when MG Rover closed.

Task Force chairman Nick Paul said: “Although the Task Force comes to an end today, my message to these people is that we are not forgetting them.

“In fact, they are about to benefit from even more intensive support than they have received so far through the new Employability Support Package.

“Much has been achieved by the MG Rover Task Force since April 2005, but there remains a lot still to be done. Although the Task Force comes to an end, the work goes on to help those who still need it.”

Around 6,000 MG Rover workers and thousands more in firms which supply the car firm lost their jobs when the company collapsed.