NATIONAL Assembly Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning Jane Davidson today unveiled a three-year £300,000 initiative to help the communities affected by the Corus job losses.

The project will pay for 50 Corus employees being made redundant to become community advocates for learning.

These 50 will then provide support and advice to all those losing their jobs on job opportunities and how to retrain.

Ms Davidson said: "The project has been designed by a partnership with the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation, all other unions with members affected by the Corus job losses, Wales TUC, training providers, (including further and higher education), and the National Assembly for Wales.

"The principal aim of the project is to attract adults from steel- manufacturing communities, who may have been traditionally excluded from education in the past, and help them into a learning environment, thereby building confidence, raising self-esteem and engendering a culture of lifelong learning.

"This will increase each participant's willingness to take responsibility for their own learning development and raise their employability."

A special course called Modern Employment Skills is being put together as part of the retraining project to ensure all those made redundant have the best chance of finding new jobs.

The £300,000 is part of the package of up to £1 million for union-related learning to help those made redundant by Corus, announced by the Assembly on May 3.

Alwyn Jones, divisional officer of the ISTC for Wales and the West, said: "We are extremely happy as a trade union for any initiative to help our people who have been made redundant.

"It seems a very forward-looking, refreshing approach."

The scheme is called the Modern Employment Skills for Steelworkers under Threat of Redundancy Project.