Norfolk County Council has launched an employment support programme as the area braces itself for as many as 15,000 redundancies over the next two years.
The programme will be launched as a 12-month pilot and includes the launch of an online portal for employees and businesses at risk of redundancy to access local and national support.
The council is expecting 550 jobs to be lost due to cutbacks announced in August by sport car manufacturer Lotus Cars, which is based at Hethel, near Wymondham in the county.
It is also anticipating 350 redundancies at NHS Norfolk & Waveney Integrated Care Board.
In a report presented to councillors, officers believe the job loss tally could reach 15,000 over the next two years. This based on figures during the 2020 recession where 750,000 jobs were lost nationally with Norfolk accounting for 2% of this figure.
‘As a council we want to do absolutely everything we can to support people who have lost or are at risk of losing their jobs,’ said the council’s cabinet member for employment and skills Cllr Fabian Eagle.
‘There is already a lot of support available, and this online portal will simplify access to this for both businesses and individuals. People will also be able to get referred for individual support from a dedicated team.’
The support service will be evaluated and reviewed during the pilot and will continue following local government reorganisation in the area ‘should there be sufficient demand’, said the council.
.png)
