DEREK Ford and Yunis Patel took the stepping stone back to work.

The two Blackburn men are the latest to find jobs after taking part in ELTEC's Target training scheme.

Derek, 28, suffered from health problems which dented his confidence. He enrolled with New Direction Training, brushed up written and spoken skills and within weeks secured a job as machine operator.

Yunis, 27, received numeracy and literacy training and got a job as a cutter with a clothes manufacturer.

The Target Training scheme aims to give the unemployed skills to fill gaps in the local labour market.

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