LIFE's a gas for former Gwent steelman Mike Davies. The Abertillery father-of-three faced an uncertain future when Corus announced the shutdown of the Ebbw Vale tinplate works where he worked for 23 years.

With hundreds of his fellow redundant steelworkers chasing relatively few suitable jobs in the area, a forced move away or fundamental career change seemed inevitable.

Now Mr Davies is one of a growing band of ex-steelmen looking forward to a new lease of life in potentially well-paid and rewarding occupations as gasmen.

The relatively high age profile of existing gas specialists, plus the demise of training schemes following the break-up of the old British Gas, means the industry is facing a shortage of people.

Workers need skills to work inside and outside buildings, such as installing central heating systems and replacing the underground gas supply network.

Many Corgi (Council of Registered Gas Installers) firms are working flat out and it has just been ann-ounced that the replacement of old iron gas mains across the country is to be speeded up, with £2.25 billion being spent in the next five years alone.

The steel closures at Llanwern and Ebbw Vale have made available scores of workers whose competency means they are ideally placed to retrain as gas workers.

A number of Wales' training and funding organisations have now joined forces with gas industry employers to set up courses and provide work experience to allow ex-Corus people and others to embark on fresh careers.

They include national gas pipeline operators Transco and fellow Lattice Group subsidiary Advantica; Elwa Education & Learning Wales; GWINTO, the gas and water industry national training organisation, Corus itself, the Employment Service, Iron & Steel Trades Confederation and private companies such as South Wales installers Gas Care Ltd and gas supply network contractors ALHCO.

First off the mark were Transco, who currently have 12 ex-steelmen on the company's third retraining course at their Grangetown, Cardiff centre.

After five weeks in the classroom, the men will spend six weeks with Gas Care before returning for a further five weeks' study.

*PICTURED: Mike Davies demonstrates his newly-acquired skill to a group of former steel workers retraining as gasmen. Also watching are trainer Dick Phillips (left) and Helen Wooldridge, of Transco.