LONDON, Sept. 16 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

The Board reviewed the effectiveness of the UK Government funding so far:

* 37 supply chain businesses had received grants, which had protected nearly 200 jobs in the local area; * 43 businesses in the local area have received growth and resilience grants; * 22 new businesses had been created using grants for equipment and training; * 3,667 training courses, and qualifications have been funded for individuals who have lost their jobs and are seeking new careers; * 332 people have directly been supported into new jobs using Transition Board funded employability services at Neath Port Talbot Council; * Nearly 600 Tata Steel employees initially at risk of compulsory redundancy have been offered alternative opportunities within the business; and * Despite over 2,100 people losing their jobs from TSUK so far, and many more in the supply chain, there has not been a spike in local unemployment levels since September 2024.

There was agreement that the Transition Board's work was not done. Although all of the UK Government's £80 million support was now allocated, there was still a job to be done on monitoring the ongoing effectiveness of the funds, implementing the new Economic Growth & Investment Fund, and supporting future investment and regeneration in the region.

The Board also received:

* A presentation from Neath Port Talbot's Employability Team and from Business Wales explaining the processes and case studies for people and businesses who apply for Transition Board funding; * An update from Tata Steel UK's decarbonisation programme - with the construction of the Electric Arc Furnace starting in July 2025; and * An update from the Department of Business and Trade's plans for a steel strategy.

Board members (and their deputies) in attendance included: Rt Hon Jo Stevens MP, Secretary of State for Wales; Jack Sargeant MS, Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership; Cllr Steven Hunt, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council; Frances O'Brien, CEO of Neath Port Talbot Council; Rajesh Nair, CEO of Tata Steel UK; Chris Jaques, Chief HR Officer, Tata Steel UK; Stephen Kinnock, MP for Aberafan Maesteg; David Rees, MS for Aberavon; Anne Jessopp CBE, Sarah Williams-Gardener & Jacqui Murray independent members of the Board; Alun Davies, National Officer for Steel & Metals, Community Union; Tom Hoyles, Politics, Press and Research Officer, GMB Wales & Jason Bartlett Regional Officer of Unite the Union Wales.

ENDS

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.