JLR workers offered £500,000 ‘rapid response’ package by West Midlands mayor

Mayor Richard Parker (pictured) has unveiled a £500,000 “rapid response” employment support package to help JLR workers taking voluntary redundancy find new jobs.

It follows the news yesterday that the automotive giant is making up to 4,000 redundancies over the next two years.

The mayor said protecting the manufacturing and automotive skills within the West Midlands was his top priority.

The emergency package could be further increased with Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) support.

The mayor said: “The Combined Authority has quickly put together a £500,000 support package for JLR workers who choose to take voluntary redundancy. We will help people find new jobs, connect them with employers and provide skills and careers support where they need it.

“That half a million-pound package is the starting point, not the limit of our support. If more help is needed, we are ready to do more. I have also made clear to JLR, the Government and trade unions that the Combined Authority stands ready to help in any way we can.

“These are highly skilled people and I want those skills to stay here in the West Midlands.

“We have employers across our automotive, advanced manufacturing, research and development and other growing industries who need those skills. Our job now is to bring those opportunities and these workers together.”

He said the funding will provide targeted support to the JLR workers to fill any gaps in their skill set and match them to potential employers, giving them the best chance of securing a new job.

Raj Kandola, deputy CEO at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, welcomed the support and said it’s vital that the funding reaches those affected quickly.

He said: “The JLR redundancies are a massive blow to the skilled workforce we have across the West Midlands, as well as the many businesses and communities that depend on the company and its wider supply chain.

“JLR has faced significant challenges over recent months, from the cyber attack to wider geopolitical turbulence and ongoing uncertainty around global trade. Despite these pressures, this announcement will still come as a bitter blow to those directly affected and to a region that has such a strong connection to the automotive industry.

“We welcome the support package brought forward by the mayor, but it is important that we now have clarity on how the funding will reach those affected as quickly as possible and, crucially, how it will help people move into new employment and access the right support and opportunities.

“More broadly, while the Government’s ambition for reindustrialisation is welcome, we also need action here and now to make it easier for anchor institutions such as JLR to continue to grow and invest.

“Reducing energy costs, making it easier for businesses to hire and supporting the deep-rooted supply chains around our major employers will be critical to protecting jobs, strengthening our economy and securing the West Midlands’ industrial future.”