Offshore firm in £1m jobs boost

The jobs of 150 design staff have been safeguarded with the opening of a new £1m engineering complex on Teesside.

AMEC said workers had to be relocated from Wallsend because of the demise of shipbuilding on the Tyne.

The firm said it hoped to recruit a further 150 staff for the Wynyard site, near Billingham, over the next year.

The company said it was working to meet growing demand for oil and gas projects in the North Sea, West Africa, Russia, the Middle East and China.

Minister for the North East, Nick Brown, officially opened the new complex.

'Generating prosperity'

AMEC chief operating officer Neil Bruce, said: "We are proud to continue our investment in the North East and to help with job creation.

"Wynyard Park will become a key engineering hub for AMEC, generating prosperity for both the UK and the North East."

Ian Williams, director of business and industry at regeneration agency One NorthEast, added: "AMEC has been based in the North East for more than three decades and in that time has gone through many changes.

"This move will help AMEC expand its business and create new skilled jobs in the region."