Bradford Council is on course to hit a target for reducing the number of young people who are out of work, education or training.

Latest figures show 8.7 per cent of 16 to 18-year-olds were not in education, employment or training (Neet) in December – 0.3 per cent lower than at the same time the previous year.

The rate is still much higher than the national average of 6.4 per cent of young people.

But the local authority reports that it is expected to have met its immediate target, an average figure for last November to this January of 8.6 per cent.

According to a report to the young people and education improvement committee, the current rate puts the Council in a good position to meet the 8.1 per cent target it has set for the same period at the end of this year and into January 2011.

There are 1,226 over-16s who are known to be Neet in the Bradford district.

Councillor Andrew Thornton, chairman of the Council’s young people and education improvement committee, said: “The situation, given the economic landscape of the time, is really encouraging. Clearly there is a way to go and it’s important that this target is achieved but we mustn’t lose sight of how far Bradford has come.”

A new agency has been appointed by the Council to deliver Connexions advice services to young people. Prospects Services has signed a deal to help reduce the number of young people who are Neet in Bradford by 2013.

Prospects’ executive chairman, Ray Auvray, said: “We have a number of exciting new ideas to improve services and we look forward to discussing these with the Council, schools and colleges, the voluntary sector, employers and youth services as well as with young people themselves.”

The Council, meanwhile, is to run intensive support services for vulnerable young people who are Neet, such as young offenders and disabled teenagers.

Cindy Peek, the Council’s assistant director for services to children and young people, said: “The Neet rate in Bradford has seen steady improvement over a number of years and we have one of the lowest rates in West Yorkshire.

“The Neet rate in November 2002 was 15.3 per cent and by November 2009 this had fallen to 8.4 per cent, a significant improvement and we are confident we will meet our target of 8.1 per cent by January 2011.

“Traditionally Bradford has had a higher figure and this is because of the economic situation in the North.”