Recruitment drive to relight the furnaces

The agreement to save the two former Tata Steel plants was struck in March and completed in late April, after the Scottish Government helped facilitate the deal.

Liberty hope to re-employ some of the hundreds of ex-Tata employees who lost their jobs when the plate plants were mothballed in October 2015, but applications are also being encouraged from those looking to join the steel industry for the first time.

This first recruitment phase run in collaboration with Job Centre Plus, aims to fill up to 100 positions, with this number growing in the new year, and the company will spend the summer months recruiting for a wide range of roles, including production, finance, health and safety and administrative positions.

Liberty has a green steel vision for the UK, using renewable energy to melt the readily available supply of scrap in Britain, and the new management team are working to restart Lanarkshire production in mid-September.

Once production is re-established, the plants will provide steel plate to industries including ship building, heavy vehicle manufacture, renewable energy, construction and civil engineering, among others.

Liberty will be also be introducing a range of apprenticeship opportunities, including Modern Apprenticeships in engineering, finance and commercial planning, a Foundation Apprenticeship and a Graduate Apprenticeship.

Prominent industry figure Jon Bolton has been appointed chief executive of Liberty’s new plate division.

He said: “This recruitment drive marks a significant milestone in the process of bringing the steel business in Scotland back to life.

“It is a just reward for the dedication of the skilled workers who had to leave the business and it also presents an opportunity for new employees to join the Liberty family.”