COUNCIL officers have helped hundreds of redundant Motorola workers back into work and training.

Since April last year, more than 700 redundant workers have been helped in their search for work and more than 3,000 have been given career and training advice.

Economic development staff from Swindon Council were the financial managers of the project, which wound up the week before last.

The council received more than £600,000 from the Department for Education and Skills to fund two bodies via the South West Regional Development Agency.

The Motorola Resource Centre acted as a one-stop shop from which workers were referred to the Motorola Rapid Response team for advice, training, career guidance and job-search funding.

The team included representatives from the Job Centre, Business Link, Swindon College and other trainers and employment agencies.

"Within the year, we estimate about half the 700 have been helped back into work," said council senior economic development officer Daryl Jones who financially managed the project.

"Many have become self-employed and several new and successful small businesses have been created.

Others are in specialist training which will assure them of good careers in the future.

The government money has kept these skills in Swindon and developed them so people have been able to find work and get qualifications here.

Motorola revealed last year that its training centre at Europark in Blagrove and an administration site in Kembrey Park would close.

The company shed 700 jobs last year, leaving around 2,000 staff at its headquarters in Blagrove and at its Groundwell manufacturing plant, where mobile phone base stations are produced.

It also announced more than 9,000 redundancies worldwide in December, but refused to break down the figures locally.