NEW figures show youth unemployment in Blackpool South has fallen by more than three quarters.

At the same time, Blackpool council are launching further schemes to provide training for jobless people caught in what they call the 'low skill trap'.

Labour MP for Blackpool South Gordon Marsden said the figures reflect the success of the New Deal, a cash incentive offered by the Government to employers for providing jobs to people who have been out of work for a long time. It also offers training and advice to potential job seekers about how to fill out application forms and interview techniques.

Mr Marsden said: "Thousands of young people have been helped by the New Deal - equipping them with the skills and experience they need to succeed."

The council has also announced plans for a new scheme which aims to get more young jobless people involved in community projects while at the same time improving their job skills. The Outreach Support Worker Project has already provided five jobs for trainee community workers.

The idea for the scheme came after studies showed although less than one per cent of local people get involved with community projects, one in four said that they would get involved if they were actively encouraged.

The new five-strong team will assist volunteers and community groups in their work at the same time as receiving quality training to enhance their own job skills.

If it is a success -- the measure of which will be if workers finding further employment -- it could be continued and extended to employ more people.

Community development co-ordinator Barry Navarro said: "The project works on the basis of what many unemployed people already know -- that it's often easier to find work if you've already got a job. This project differs from some training schemes because everything about it is real.

"It provides individuals with real pay and work with real opportunities for the workers at the end."