Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood wants more people to benefit from the Welsh Assembly Government’s initiative to help the unemployed after latest figures show Rhondda Cynon Taff county borough to be the biggest beneficiary in recent months.
In the five months between October of last year and March, 1,265 people took up assistance from the ReAct vocational training programme – more than in any other local authority area in Wales. The county borough also saw 149 employers take up the ReAct Wage subsidy start scheme.
This meant nearly £3 million was committed to providing assistance to businesses and job hunters in the Rhondda Cynon Taf area alone, providing a huge boost to the local economy. Under the ProAct scheme, which provides training for employees who are on short time working, and helps companies retain skilled staff who may otherwise be made redundant, 779 workers in Rhondda Cynon Taf were supported. Only two other local authorities, Caerphilly and Neath Port Talbot, saw more workers being assisted by ProAct.
The figures show that across Wales, more than 13,000 people started on the ReAct scheme and 9743 workers benefited from the ProAct initiative.
Ms Wood, who represents the South Wales Central region in the Assembly which encompasses Rhondda Cynon Taf, said: “The South Wales valleys has been hit hard recently with job losses at the Burberry factory in Treorci and the Bosch factory in Miskin so I’m pleased to see that ReAct is having such an impact on the local economy. The programme is giving people a chance to get better qualified and improve their chances in the job market when they would otherwise be left to fend for themselves.
“Having spoken to people who have directly benefited from ReAct, I know how much of a difference it is making. In such difficult economic times, coupled with the threat of big public sector cuts being made as a result of the policies of the Lib/Con Westminster Government, the ReAct programme will be an essential tool for boosting the Welsh economy.”
If people want more information about registering with the ReAct scheme, they can contact Leanne Wood’s office on 029 2092 2578 or email [email protected].
