Rotherham firm joins growing number of companies ready to offer jobs to Ukrainian refugees - including Marks & Spencer, Asos and Lush

Magtec has expressed its shock and horror at the situation unfolding in Ukraine and is offering employment opportunities to engineers forced to flee their homes.

The South Yorkshire-based company has welcomed the launch of the Home Office’s sponsorship scheme to match Ukrainians without established family ties within the UK to businesses and is ready to support skilled workers who want to come to the UK.

Andrew Gilligan, managing director, said: “We have all been shocked by what we are seeing in Ukraine and feel quite helpless to stop the advance of the Russian military.

“What we can do is assist here in the UK. As a high-growth company, Magtec has a wide variety of job vacancies spanning electrical, mechanical and software disciplines and we would love to consider Ukrainian engineers for these roles.”

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Ukraine’s education system is focused on technical and scientific disciplines and produces 130,000 engineering graduates every year. The nation’s workforce has one of the highest levels of English proficiency in central and eastern Europe.

Magtec is a UK leader in the design, manufacture and installation of drive systems for electric and hybrid vehicles and is increasing production for existing and new customers in the commercial vehicle, rail, defence and logistics sectors.

The privately-owned company currently employs 145 people at its facility in Rotherham and is targeting sales of £30m this year, more than double the turnover of 2021.

Dozens of other businesses are also offering job opportunities and are pressing the British Government to make it easier for those driven out by Russia's invasion to come to the UK.

Marks & Spencer, Asos and Lush are among the firms involved.

The initiative is being led by British entrepreneur Emma Sinclair, the chief executive of Enterprise Alumni.

The aim of the project is to help tens of thousands of refugees gain employment, find accommodation and gain language skills.

More than 100,000 people have registered their interest in sponsoring Ukrainian refugees to stay in their homes – 24 hours after the Government scheme was launched.