British Steel to recruit 180 workers after government rescue secures future

British Steel has launched a recruitment drive for more than 180 new roles less than a month after the UK government intervened to save the company and protect 2,700 jobs at its Scunthorpe plant.

The move follows a dramatic state rescue in which ministers stepped in after Chinese owner Jingye Group declined to fund a £500 million bailout, prompting an emergency sitting of Parliament and the passage of legislation to bring the steelmaker under temporary state oversight.

With the company’s future now stabilised, British Steel has announced a new jobs fair in Scunthorpe to fill 165 roles at its flagship site, and a further 17 vacancies at its Teesside and Skinningrove facilities in North Yorkshire.

“With the backing of the UK government, we are focused on cementing British Steel as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of steel,” said Allan Bell, the senior director appointed as interim chief executive by ministers.

“These are exciting opportunities across our business, offering rewarding careers which will play important roles in building stronger futures for our business and the UK economy.”

The new roles span a wide range of functions, including legal, environmental chemistry, engineering, labouring, and facilities maintenance. The company says the recruitment push is necessary to meet rising customer demand and to support an increase in production across all sites.

British Steel employs more than 3,000 people, the majority based in Scunthorpe — home to the UK’s last remaining blast furnace producing virgin steel. The government moved to protect the site because of its strategic national importance, serving key sectors such as construction and the railways.

Jingye, British Steel’s Chinese owner, had previously planned to shut the blast furnace as early as this summer, sparking concerns over the UK’s ability to produce primary steel. However, under the government’s direction, the closure has been postponed, with new leadership seeking to transition to greener steelmaking over the next three years.

Interim CEO Bell is backing a £2 billion plan to follow in the footsteps of Tata Steel, which is shifting operations at Port Talbot to electric arc furnaces using recycled scrap. The transition is seen as essential to meet emissions targets and ensure long-term viability for the sector.

British Steel’s rescue and restart of hiring come at a critical moment for the UK’s industrial base. The government cited the company’s role as a “national industrial asset”, underlining its contribution to domestic supply chains and critical infrastructure.

With the raw materials supply chain for iron ore and coking coal now secured, British Steel says it is ready to scale up production and chart a more sustainable future.

The recruitment event, to be held later this month in Scunthorpe, marks a symbolic turning point — not only in the company’s recovery, but in the UK’s renewed commitment to domestic industrial resilience.