Mike Hedges AM asks for Welsh Government Statement on what support has been offered to employees affected by closure of DAWNUS.

Mike Hedges AM asks for Welsh Government Statement on what support has been offered to employees affected by closure of DAWNUS.

Speaking from the Welsh Assembly, Swansea East AM Mike Hedges said… ‘I welcome the statement of the Minister. It is good to hear that some employees have been supported into jobs and it is especially good news that the apprentices have been found employers where they can complete their training.

This however only covers a small number of the approx. 700 or so employees. I hope that the support outlined by the Minister remains in place to support as many of the remaining employees into other employment.’

Mike Hedges AM – would like to ask for two Government statements. Firstly, I’m asking for a Government statement outlining what support has been given to staff who lost their jobs following the closure of Dawnus, which will affect your constituents as much as it affects mine, and what further help will be provided. Because it was a catastrophic closure, because it happened virtually overnight.

Rebecca Evans AM – Dawnus directly employed 705 people across Wales and the UK, and 430 of those employees were based here in Wales. As he will know, the Welsh Government established a taskforce to support those individuals who were directly affected as a result of the business entering into administration. The Welsh Government’s ReAct programme, Careers Wales, and the Department for Work and Pensions’ Jobcentre Plus have been deployed, and they’re actively supporting those individuals who have been directly affected.82
The administrator has appointed a specialist recruitment agency to manage the redundancy process, with all former employees notified and either paid or expecting their redundancy payments imminently. A number of regional construction businesses across Wales have taken on a number of those former employees who were directly affected, and a new business, based on one of the subsidiary businesses of the Dawnus group, has been established, with those staff transferring across to the new entity, and that safeguards around 37 direct jobs. Officials are aware that there’s an ongoing dialogue with potential buyers for the acquisition of another subsidiary business in the Dawnus group, and that could safeguard more jobs within the group.83
I can also inform Mike Hedges that 35 apprentices have been identified within the business, and officials have engaged with the construction industry training board to ensure that they have continued support, to ensure that they can complete their training with other organisations. And, of course, the taskforce will continue to work with the support organisations to help those individuals affected, and the Lighthouse Club charity can provide mental health support to those construction employees who have been affected.