£60m Package for Teesside industry

Following the announcement last week that Corus would cut 1700 jobs from its Teesside workforce, the government said it had decided to prioritise a number of projects under consideration to secure immediate investment to support workers in the area. The Department for Business and Skills said the overall package would create an estimated 3000 new jobs in the short to medium term and sustain over 10,000 in the long term. The first part of the investment is aimed at addressing immediate issues arising from the Corus Redcar mothballing, including providing around £10 million for apprenticeships and support for people to start businesses and up to £20 million investment in the nearby Wilton International site, the other major employer in the vicinity, to strengthen and sustain its competitiveness and employment. The enterprise support will be targeted primarily at redundant workers and could create up to 300 jobs. The £30 million of further money "will equip Teesside to move beyond traditional heavy industry to realise its potential to be part of our low carbon manufacturing base", a statement said. One North East chief executive and chairman of the Corus Response Group Alan Clarke (pictured), said: "This package of support builds upon and accelerates projects which will help underpin the future economy of the Tees Valley. "It is very much addressing immediate priorities while also looking to the longer term to put in place the infrastructure needed to support the major changes the process sector and other industries are embracing.