News Article

A jobs and advice centre staffed by employment experts will open on site at Nissan within the next fortnight to offer swift support to workers affected by the company’s job reduction announcement.

Job Centre Plus and Nissan staff will operate the jobs and advice centre to initially help temporary staff who are leaving the plant, who will remain on full pay for the next four weeks.

They will offer advice on accessing the latest job vacancies in the area and the wider North East - with more than 12,000 jobs advertised across North East job centres today - as well as give guidance on retraining opportunities, updating CVs, interview skills and benefits advice.

The first meeting of the Nissan Response Group held today at One North East’s Stella House base at Newburn Riverside, also heard that the regional development agency will meet with representatives from Nissan’s 16 key suppliers next week to learn more about the economic issues they face and how they can be tackled, with a view to preparing an individual action plan for each supplier.

Any Nissan supply chain workers impacted by yesterday’s announcement will be offered the same full package of assistance that every Nissan worker will receive from the response group.

The group is also putting in place a package of help through Job Centre Plus, Learning and Skills Council and Business and Enterprise North East to be ready to help any permanent employees at Nissan who may be affected after a consultation period on staff employment ends in early April.

Alan Clarke, One North East Chief Executive and Chairman of the Nissan Response Group, said: “Help for staff will begin quickly through the new jobs and advice centre with our aim being to get redundant employees back into work as quickly as possible.

“Similar response groups set up to deal with major redundancies in the region in the past have a proven track record of quickly getting people back into work or retraining - more than 80% of redundant workers resettled within six months of a redundancy announcement.

“Clearly, it will be a challenge to achieve similar numbers with Nissan employees given the tough economic climate, but it is a challenge we are prepared to meet and the hard work begins now.

“A pressing issue for the automotive sector is the future welfare of Nissan’s supply chain companies and One North East will meet with their representatives next Wednesday (January 14) to listen to their concerns and needs.

“The response group has the experts in place to give redundant Nissan employees and its supply chain workers every possible opportunity of finding new work.”

North East Chamber of Commerce, CBI North East and EEF Northern will all work to identify employment opportunities for redundant Nissan employees through their membership networks.

The response group comprises One North East, Nissan, Job Centre Plus, Business and Enterprise North East, Learning and Skills Council, North East Chamber of Commerce, CBI North East and Sunderland City Council. Minister for the North East Nick Brown MP and Fraser Kemp, MP for Houghton and Washington East, both attended today’s meeting.

Ends.

For further information please contact:
Gordon Arnott, PR Manager, One NorthEast.
Tel:(0191) 229 6309   Fax:(0191) 229 6234 Mobile: 07713 317883
e-mail: gordon.arnott@onenortheast.co.uk