A DRIVE to tackle the main barriers young Asian people in Pendle face when looking for employment is to be stepped up.

The move was backed at a meeting organised by Pendle Partnership at Nelson Civic Theatre in order to present research aimed at reducing the problems.

Information was gathered during an 18-month period by the former East Lancashire Careers Service, which is now called Connexions.

It was commissioned because unemployment rates among 16 to 24-year-old Asians in the borough were found up to five times higher than the national average.

A group set up called 'Action Research' found that the problems were:

A lack of effective information in the Asian community leading to a poor take-up of mainstream advice services

A lack of work experience opportunities

Cultural perceptions that vocational qualifications and training are inferior and less desirable than A-levels, leading to fewer 16 and 17-year-olds entering employment with training

Unrealistic parental aspirations leading to higher drop-out rates from further and higher education.

Dr Ikram Malik MBE, who chaired the meeting, said: "The meeting was well attended, particularly by young people, both male and female. The action plan was well received as a useful contribution to identifying the problems faced by young people in the ethnic minority in getting jobs.

"However, a number of members of the community warned against complacency and said that youth unemployment was still a big cause for concern. There was a good level of support for what Pendle Partnership had done to implement the action plan and for the new projects that had been developed by the partnership."

The research findings encouraged projects to be developed such as a Wheels within Wheels, Schools Liaison Officer and Options for All, which will be particularly beneficial to young people in the ethnic minority community.

Wheels within Wheels aims to reduce crime by providing leisure opportunities for the young. The Schools Liaison Officer helps students at risk of missing out on college entry grades by organising summer schools and taster courses.

Options for All provides outreach workers to help drug misusers in the ethnic minority community get back to education and employment.

Pendle Partnership is also ensuring more young people from the ethnic minority community benefit from its projects. Most projects have an ethnic minority beneficiary target of at least 30 per cent, rising to 50 per cent or more for some projects.

Workshops for young Asians were held at schools, in colleges, and in community venues. Unemployed young Asians were also consulted and a resident survey was conducted, particularly to reach young people's parents.