Jobs help for Ricoh staff if redundancies made

A council is offering help to employees of a Telford firm if any are made redundant through a production move abroad.

Ricoh UK Products Limited plant in Telford, Shropshire, said shifting output to a site in Normandy in France would take about 14 months and start in May.

The firm, which employs about 400 people who work with digital print devices, has not said how many roles could be at risk.

Telford & Wrekin Council said it was preparing support for any affected staff around retraining opportunities, skills assessments, and links to local employers currently recruiting.

Asked by the BBC how many jobs could be at risk, a spokesperson for the business said: "Consultation has not yet begun and it would not be appropriate to comment on specific site headcount ahead of that formal process.

"What we can say is that the proposed changes relate to only part of our Telford-based business."

The council said it could help workers through its Skills for Growth Partnership and specialist advisers were ready to work with Ricoh and any other employers entering redundancy processes.

Councillor Shirley Reynolds, said: "We understand how incredibly difficult and unsettling this consultation period will be for Ricoh employees and their families.

"If redundancies are confirmed, we want people to know that support will be available immediately.

"Whether it's exploring new training, updating a CV, or connecting with employers who are recruiting, our teams stand ready to provide one to one support to help residents plan their next steps with confidence."

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