Mr Rhodri Morgan First Minister of UK has announced that almost 600 Corus Strip Products UK employees in Wales are to benefit from skills support worth GBP 1.1 million in ProAct funding.

He said that "This is the biggest ProAct funding project so far. 584 Corus employees will be on the scheme and will be able to improve their level of skill ready for the upturn in the economy."

ProAct is the Welsh Assembly Government's flagship training scheme aimed at helping viable companies who are facing difficulties during the economic downturn by providing funding to upgrade training for employees. Employers can receive up to GBP 2,000 per individual for training, and, in theory, up to a further GBP 2,000 per employee for a wage subsidy whilst that training is being undertaken.

Mr Morgan said that "This is a positive development for Corus and some of their staff who have faced uncertain futures. Accessing ProAct financial support enables employees to gain additional qualifications. ProAct is gaining international recognition with more companies applying and accessing funding to upgrade their employees’ skills. We’ve said from the beginning that during difficult economic times it’s imperative for the Welsh workforce that their companies don’t just survive the present recession but are also fully prepared to be competitive when the economy gets into recovery mode. The Assembly Government is working closely with Corus, as a significant employer in Wales to ensure it has a strong future in our economy."

Mr Uday Chaturvedi MD of CSP UK said that "The impact of the economic downturn has been very severe in our industry. We have been determined to retain valuable skills. With the assistance of the Welsh Assembly Government we are taking advantage of the opportunity to improve steel employees' working skills."

Mr David Ferris chair of the Multi Union at Port Talbot steelworks said that "Unique to Wales, the ProAct scheme is set to benefit a large number of the workforce, protecting their jobs, and further improving their employability."

Mr John Griffiths Deputy Minister for Skills said that "We are committed to supporting businesses and communities in all sectors throughout Wales. ProAct support has been offered to 129 companies providing around GBP 17.3 million of funding supporting around 7,000 people. It is crucial that as many people as possible are engaged in the labor market, taking up training opportunities to ensure that Wales has a vibrant and successful economic future."

(Sourced from www.wales.gov.uk)