From weaving to welding - its all in a day's work for a group of Shipley employees.

For when the workers were made redundant from their jobs at Shipley textile firm Jerome - their cause was taken up by a neighbouring company that needed welders.

And from the spark of a bright idea, the employees have adapted their skills to their new job - at Cardinal Shopfitting and Systems.

Brian Considine, chairman of Cardinal, also based in Shipley, contacted Jerome's personnel officer when he heard workers were being made redundant earlier this year.The second chance comes as the Government announced a £15 million aid package for the ailing textile industry which involved training workers in new skills.

A chance meeting with Bradford businesswoman Judith Donovan has also helped them gain training suited to their new work as welders and machining equipment operators.

The meeting happened on a train journey before the redundancies took place. But it ended with Mrs Donovan giving Mr Considine a name to contact at Bradford & District Training & Enterprise Council where she was chairman.

Mr Considine used the contact to help set up a welding training programme for the eight workers he took on from Jerome.

They are now working in the engineering factory in Ive Street, Shipley. The firm, which employs 300 workers, also has a joinery workshop at the Victoria Works in Salts Mill Road - opposite the Jerome mill. The firm also has another joinery workshop in Ashton, Lancashire.

Some 130 workers lost their jobs at the former S. Jerome business - owned by textile firm Worthington - when the mill closed in January.

Mr Considine said: "People think that textile workers who are made redundant are on the scrapheap. But they are not and the people we have taken on from Jerome have been good quality staff and I have high hopes for them in the future.

"I have also been most impressed with the way the TEC grasped the bull by the horns, put everyone in contact with each other and brought about a positive outcome so speedily and efficiently.

"We are delighted that we have been able to recruit enthusiastic staff who have adapted so well to their training and become a valuable part of our workforce from the very first day in their new jobs."

The shopfitting firm has expanded in the ten years it has been going and has seen its turnover grow to £26 million.

e-mail: paul.parker@bradford.newsquest.co.uk