JOBLESS youngsters in Bolton are being encouraged to improve their chances of finding a job with the help of the Prince’s Trust.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is delivering the Prince’s Trust programme in Bolton, offering young people between the ages of 16 and 25 the chance to gain qualifications, learn new skills and improve their confidence.

Last week, a study by the trust revealed that up to 750,000 young people may feel that they have nothing to live for and that a third of long-term unemployed young people have contem-plated taking their own lives.

The fire service wants to give them hope and is recruiting young people to enrol on the next 12-week course, which begins on January 27.

Andy Cropper, assistant team leader for the Bolton Prince’s Trust, will be working with the new team after helping to supervise the last programme in the summer.

He said: “In the previous group, we had people join who had very low self-esteem, some of them had been out of work for two years.

“But the programme really helped the guys, taught them skills and given them new confidence. Now we have some people on apprenticeships, others are volunteering and one has enrolled at college.

“There was one young lad who joined the team and was mumbling a lot and really struggled with his writing. By the end of the course he was far more confident and the level of his writing was incomparable.”

The Bolton News reported on the progress of the previous Prince’s Trust programme, which saw the group of young adults learn new skills and complete tasks, including the renovation of a community centre in Blackrod.

The latest 12-week programme also offers team members the chance to gain qualifications in subjects such as first aid and food hygiene, as well as offering advice on their CVs and interview techniques.

Anyone interested in the Prince’s Trust programme should contact allfiredup@ manchesterfire.gov.uk