Caparo in crisis: Firms get council leaders' support
Walsall Council bosses have pledged to offer their full support to businesses who have links to Caparo.
It comes after the steel giant shut down its Black Country operations.
Meanwhile, Labour MPs have said the Government must act to ensure more than 300 Black Country workers who lost their jobs at Caparo are able to get back into work.
Staff at five sites in Darlaston, Oldbury, Dudley, West Bromwich and Cradley Heath were told by administrators on Friday they were being laid off with immediate effect.
Around 50 former and current Caparo employees were invited to the Job Centre in West Bromwich High Street on Saturday in a bid to find a new career. The Job Centre in Temple Street, Wolverhampton, also opened up especially for Caparo workers, providing the same service.
Walsall Council's deputy leader, Councillor Adrian Andrew said: "It's with great sadness that we hear about Caparo's closure.
"Our focus is now to assist those who were working for the company, to help support them to look for alternative work.
"We're also looking to support businesses who were in Caparo's supply chain, to understand the wider impact."
Walsall North MP David Winnick said: "It also undermines the constant claims the Government puts out that the economy is improving. In many aspects it's not."
Councillor Keith Chambers, who represents Bentley and Darlaston North for Walsall Council, suggested the authority could help.
He said: "As a council we have to now look at what sort of package can be put together to help the affected workers."
But Labour's deputy leader and West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson said the onus was on the Government.
He said: "The government must act immediately to ensure all those affected are given the help they need to find new jobs, including financial assistance to retrain if necessary."
