Welsh Government ministers attended the opening of an employment support service for steelworkers affected by the closure of the Tata Steel blast furnaces in Port Talbot, with the help of leading recruitment company Acorn by Synergie.
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens MP and the Cabinet Secretary of Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca Evans met steelworkers, as well as Acorn by Synergie staff including Commercial Partnerships Director Mark Rudge, Engineering Manager Andrew Putterill and Head of Marketing Danielle Hayes, plus Community Union staff and partners, in Aberafan Shopping Centre where the support centre is based.
Acorn by Synergie has partnered with the Community Union, who are working with Welsh Government, Careers Wales, the Department for Work and Pensions, Neath Port Talbot Employability, UK Steel Enterprise and Google Digital Garage to deliver training and employment support for workers affected by the closure. The training and support will be geared towards creating new employment and an economic future for Port Talbot.
Mark Rudge, Commercial Partnerships Director at Acorn said:
“I feel incredibly proud to be a part of today. At Acorn by Synergie, we are committed to helping 500 Neath Port Talbot residents get back into employment and I’m confident that will happen, in conjunction with the other people that are here. Neath Port Talbot County Council, Careers Wales, we’re already working together in lots of positive ways. It would be really useful for as many businesses we can get to come forward with vacancies, but there’s a lot of positive things happening.”
Community Union’s General Secretary Roy Rickhuss said:
“I really sincerely thank our partners – we wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for them. We couldn’t have done it without your support. Acorn by Synergie – it’s massively important that we’ve got that facility for people to come in and we can say, ‘These are jobs that are available, these are jobs you can look at training to secure.’ Many Thanks to Acorn.”
Jo Stevens MP said:
“I know Port Talbot is a proud and strong community. It has had a proud past and it is going to have a proud future. Yes, this is a particularly challenging moment for everybody in the area, but I think the support centre epitomises the strength and solidarity of people across this town and the wider region.”
Rebecca Evans MP said:
“We have that long and proud history and heritage of steelmaking and I think we can always continue to be proud of that. It’s part of our identity.
“The challenges facing the community at the moment are much bigger than any one organisation on its own can tackle but together we can tackle it and we’re here for the long haul. It’s important we come together.”
The new employment support service is part of Acorn by Synergie’s purpose-driven strategy to promote positive community change. The leading recruiter last month announced its pledge to dedicate 10,000 working hours to tackling barriers to employment and enhancing social mobility in local communities over the next three years.
The 10,000 hours will include actively engaging with diverse communities via partnerships, networking events and jobs fairs to attract talent from under-represented groups, providing workshops and mentoring to help people progress further in their careers, plus more.
Acorn Impact also aims to reduce inequalities by providing equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of their background and reflects Acorn by Synergie’s belief that successful businesses must play an active role in addressing social challenges.
