This presentation focuses on the role that Bournville College played in the regeneration of Longbridge. It was delivered to the Edgbaston Rotary Club in spring 2011.
13. IMPACT OF ROVER CLOSURE At the closure of MG Rover in April 2005, the factory employed 6,500 employees, with the supply chain employing further 27,000 people. The College played a key part in the Rover Task Force (£170m support package) The areas around the Rover plant (Longbridge and Northfield) were hardest hit by the closure. The impact spread on to local shops and restaurants, forcing some to close. Two thirds of ex MG Rover workers have suffered wage falls - of an average of £5,640 per year in real terms Almost a quarter of survey* respondents said they were in debt and 36 per cent said they are just about able to manage on their current incomes *‘Life After Longbridge’: Three Years on. Pathways to Re-Employment in a Restructuring Economy’ by David Bailey, Caroline Chapain and Michelle Mahdon, University of Birmingham