The Government of Wales is offering GBP206,000 (US$256,072) in additional funding to help people who were affected by the closure of the 2 Sisters Food Group poultry plant in Llangefni to find new jobs.
The company closed the facility on March 31, stating that it was unsustainable, old and lacking the space needed to be efficiently run.
Consultations between company leaders and plant staff had been conducted to “explore the full range of options” before making any final decisions about the plant’s fate, 2 Sisters stated, adding that those consultations had been “exhausted.”
“The closure of the 2 Sisters plant in Llangefni has had a devastating impact on the local community and the wider region,” Wales Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said in a press release. “The Welsh Government set up a task force jointly with Isle of Anglesey County Council and the U.K. Government to ensure everything that could be done was being done to help save the jobs at the plant. The task force has worked in close collaboration with trades unions representatives at the site.
“Following the plant’s closure, we’re doing all we can to help former staff find work. The additional investment I’m announcing today will boost the Welsh Government’s Communities for Work Plus (CfW+) employment support service locally, which is providing people with the intensive support they need to find new jobs, or to take up new training opportunities through our ReAct+ program.”
CfW+ is delivered primarily through local authorities but with a small number of third sector bodies also involved, including local employment charity Môn CF on Anglesey.
The additional investment will:
- Enable Môn CF and Gwynedd Council to employ additional employment mentors through the coming year
- Allow Môn CF to commission Citizens Advice Bureau services for those made redundant.
As Gething said, the plant’s former staff members are also being supported through the government’s ReAct+ program, which provides them with tailored support to get them into employment as soon as possible. ReAct+ offers tailored solutions which may include financial support, skills training, and personal development support to help remove barriers to employment, such as support with mental health, confidence-building and language skills.
CfW+ teams have been on site supporting staff at the Llangefni plant for several weeks, according to the press release, and are be increasing their efforts to engage and support those who are out of work following the plant’s formal closure.
