Young people made redundant from working on high-profile stalled Liverpool schemes are to have their apprenticeships saved after a developer stepped in.
It was that a number of apprentices supported by the City of Liverpool College and working for contractor Vermont on two Elliot Group schemes were to be handed their redundancy notices due to delays on the projects.
Those delays affected developer Elliot Lawless' towers and projects, and came following the arrest of Mr Lawless and council regeneration chief Nick Kavanagh on suspicion of fraud.
It was revealed in January that the two prominent city schemes had been suspended while funding was found.
Today, fellow developer Crossfield Group has said it will step in to "save" the apprentices, and is ready to offer them work on one of its various schemes around Liverpool.
David Cain, managing director of Crossfield Group, said: “We’re delighted to be engaging with the City of Liverpool College and Liverpool City Council to support these young people to ensure they can continue their apprenticeships.
"Elliot Group and others reached out to ensure apprentices have somewhere to go, and as a local company employing local people, we are extremely passionate to create as many employment opportunities across our schemes as we can - especially for those at the outset of their career."
The original move was believed to affect 10 Vermont apprentices - but it's understood that number may rise.
Most Read
A meeting has been arranged for next week between the city developers and the further education college's principal and chief executive Elaine Bowker.
She said: “It’s fantastic that Crossfield is committed to supporting these young people to complete their apprenticeships, helping them to progress their careers in the construction industry.
“These apprentices have been hugely affected by recent events, and in an industry which is growing in our city region, I strongly urge more businesses to join forces with us, to take on these skilled workers who have the desire and determination to learn and are a huge asset for any organisation and our city region as whole.
“More than ever, commitment from employers in the Liverpool City Region is vitally important to support our future workforce.”
It comes after Ms Bowker issued a rallying cry for employers seeking young people with engineering and construction skills to contact them urgently - with the apprentices facing losing government funding if they do not find another scheme within 30 days.
Liverpool City Region Business News
It came in the middle of National Apprenticeship Week, an annual event celebrating the impact of apprenticeships on employers and the economy.
Ms Bowker said: "They are gutted. I am calling for employers looking for talent in [these areas] to get in touch with us."
Don’t miss
Speaking ahead of a meeting this week, Mr Cain said: "We currently have a number of significant projects ready to commence, and as soon as they are granted the necessary planning permissions, we wholly commit to recruit these apprentices and provide them with sustainable careers within the construction industry.
"They will be part of some truly exciting regeneration projects in the city, whilst receiving all the necessary support and guidance from the Crossfield team.”
Crossfield currently has a housing development in Brick Street (Baltic Triangle) a hotel in Bramley Moore Dock and a mixed use residential and commercial scheme in Garston currently in for planning.
Cabinet member forrRegeneration and highways, Cllr Sharon Connor, and fellow cabinet colleague Cllr Barry Kushner said: “The mayor asked us to help find new employers for the apprentices that have been made redundant.
"We need more skilled young people coming through the system and thankfully Crossfield have stepped in so these young people can finish their apprenticeship. This is an example for the city and of our commitment to make sure that developments create real opportunities for our young people.
“Crossfield have a number of exciting projects in the pipeline and we're pleased that our apprentices will be working on them.”
The affected apprentices had been working on two schemes run by the Elliot Group - Aura, which is set to deliver more than 1,000 student housing units in Islington, and the £250m Infinity towers project - a landmark development on Leeds Street centred around three huge buildings set to soar to 27, 33 and 38 storeys high.
Want more business news straight to your inbox?
BusinessLive is your home for business news from around the country - and you can stay in touch with all the latest news through our email alerts.
You can sign up to receive morning news bulletins from every region we cover and to weekly email bulletins covering key economic sectors from manufacturing to technology and enterprise. And we'll send out breaking news alerts for any stories we think you can't miss.
Visit our email preference centre to sign up to all the latest news from BusinessLive.
Mr Kavanagh was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and misconduct in a public office back in December with Mr Lawless, one of the city's leading property developers, also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, bribery and corruption.
Mr Lawless denies all allegations against him, while Mr Kavanagh has not spoken publicly since his arrest.
Neither Mr Lawless nor the council official have been charged with any offence, with both subject to a continuing investigation by .