A company which is set to employ 300 workers at a site in Newport which will build trains has met with the Welsh Government to talk about the progress of the scheme.

Andrés Arizkorreta, CEO for Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) met with Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport Ken Skates, to update them on progress for the construction of the new factory being built at the Celtic Business Park site in Newport and the resulting future job creation.

CAF is set to recruit up to 300 workers at the site including qualified engineers, skilled assembly technicians and professional support positions. Employing lean manufacturing techniques in the manufacture of trains, CAF believes that the traditional engineering skills found in the local area will complement the operation and provide a strong base to build more trains for the UK market.

The recruitment programme will encourage a diverse and inclusive workforce with a focus on encouraging young people to consider rail as a career choice through a range of apprenticeship and graduate schemes.

Andrés Arizkorreta, CEO for CAF said: “CAF is excited to be able to work with the Welsh Government to provide so many new careers, training and apprenticeship opportunities for Wales.

"Together with the development of an innovative, cost effective and locally based supply chain, we hope this partnership will continue to grow for many years to come.”

The UK order book for CAF has recently been bolstered by the inclusion of a €200m contract to supply trains to operate in the West Midlands. This order plus trains to operate for the Caledonian Sleeper; TransPennine Express and Northern franchises demonstrates CAF’s growing presence in the UK market.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said: “We have been incredibly successful over recent years at attracting global businesses to Wales - and creating high quality jobs. We need to take an ever more proactive approach to getting out there, promoting Wales on an international stage. We must remind the world Wales means business and that's exactly what we’ve been doing this week.”

Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport Ken Skates said: “The Welsh Government is passionate about growing our economy. As demonstrated in our new Economic Action Plan, we are full of fresh ideas to bring prosperity and security to industry and our communities. We have to make sure that we keep selling ourselves to the world and we tell the world that Wales is a great place to invest in.”

CAF will start recruitment for the factory in the spring, and will be offering training and apprenticeship schemes from Autumn 2018. Job opportunities include skilled technicians and engineers, management and support staff.

The new factory will also boost the wider UK rail industry supply chain as CAF plans to develops a 'cluster' of local and national companies to supply components for its trains.