A MAJOR recruitment drive to attract the cream of this year's graduates to tackle skills shortages in East Lancashire is underway.

Universities across the UK are being targeted as part of the launch of a new graduate recruitment initiative by ELTEC.

"East Lancashire's shortage of higher level skills is a source of growing concern to a wide range of business sectors," explained Paul Heald of ELTEC.

"In order to solve this problem it became imperative to throw our recruitment net right across the UK."

The Graduate Recruitment and Development Service will help local employers take on and train young people. From a database of graduates from across the country the service will try and match college leavers with local firms and will pay up to 40 per cent towards training.

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