JANET ANDERSON, the MP for Rossendale and Darwen, will be attending a Groundwork presentation on the success of local Environment Task Force (EFT) teams.

The presentations will be part of an open day for Employment Service personal advisers from East Lancashire held at the Groundwork Centre in Rawtenstall on Friday.

Mrs Anderson is expected to congratulate Groundwork on its work with the task force, which was one of the New Deal initiatives launched by the Labour government after the last election.

Peter Jordan, Groundwork operations director in Rossendale, said: "The Environmental Task Force is about offering real skills and work experience to unemployed young people.

"The teams that we operate in Hyndburn and Rossendale have often been the first taste of full-time work for dozens of young men an women over the past two and a half years.

"Helping them out of unemployment is not just good news for the local economy.

"We have seen a dramatic change to the lives of a number of participants."

Personal advisers and managers from employment services and training organisations will tour sites to see at first hand the work being carried out by EFT trainees.

They will then be able to meet the young people engaged in the projects.