HOMELESS young people who missed out on education have been offered places on training courses to prepare them for a bright future.

The three teenagers, who live at a Nightsafe sheltered housing project in Darwen, will start year-long courses at Blackburn College and apprentice provider Training 2000 in September.

The three had been deprived of the chance to gain any qualifications whilst at school due to difficult home lives.

Yet after recently being accepted onto programmes by NACRO, a charity that works with disadvantaged young people, they have made massive strides which has led to one of them learning to read and write in less than a year.

Ashley Meadowcroft, 17, came to the shelter, named Cornfield Cliffe, after a break up with his girlfriend left him homeless.

After completing a part-time course with the organisation he plans to take up a joinery course at Blackburn College. He said: “Getting the chance to learn how to read and write has helped me so much because it’s meant I could enrol on the course. It’ll give me something positive and productive.”

Daniel Dickinson, 16 has been accepted toat Blackburn College while Laura Jones, 17, will take a self confidence and essential skills course before going on to workplace training.

Their gains represent just some of the successes young people have had at the project, which also co-ordinates a day centre in Blackburn where attendees have been demonstrating their potential as up and coming young poets.

Manager of Cornfield Cliffe, Nicola Roscoe, 37, said: “It’s great to see so many successes at once.”