00:01The Westland Hotel has seen its share of good times and bad.
00:06Now it's hosting another gathering amid the fluctuating fortunes of Wyala.
00:11Steelworkers filing through its doors, hoping to find secure livelihoods.
00:16Today was very helpful, I think it's going to help a lot of people decide where their futures might head
00:21now.
00:2258 year old Jill Alcock among those meeting prospective employers,
00:26open to a new beginning but hopeful of keeping her current job.
00:30Very tight and wide at the moment.
00:32We just need to see what jobs are open and available at the Steelworks or out the mines
00:37if people have taken the voluntary redundancy.
00:40About 250 workers have opted for redundancy but hundreds more need to go
00:45after the closure of the Steelworks blast furnace ahead of a change of ownership.
00:49Dozens of companies at today's Employer Connect session bringing the promise of new jobs,
00:54at least for some, even interstate.
00:57The opportunity is out there, you know, you've gone through a tough time
01:00but there's a lot of people in your corner and there's a lot of support for the Wyala community
01:07and yeah, get out there and seek those opportunities.
01:10Today's event is focused on helping those whose jobs are directly connected to the blast furnace shutdown.
01:15But many here fear the true impact on the local economy will be much broader,
01:21hitting sectors like retail and hospitality hard in the months and years to come.
01:26One engineering company that I know of that used to get a lot of work
01:31and ever since this has happened their work has just stopped, virtually stopped.
01:35Certainty will only come with a new owner of the Steelworks,
01:39with the buyer due to be confirmed later this year.
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