A project that aims to get unemployed people into work has scooped £350,462 of European Commission funding.

Jobs@ will be a free service to help people gain skills needed for employment encouraging firms to expand or move into the district.

Advisors will work in Keighley, Shipley, Horton Grange, Newlands and Bierley in Bradford to give people guidance and make sure they are aware of the opportunities and assistance that is available to them.

The team will also work with investors in Bradford to secure more than 300 job opportunities for people.

The project team, consisting of a manager, administration officer and ten employment advisors, will be recruited by April and will work until September 2005.

It will be part of Bradford Council's department of regeneration and housing, reporting to Invest in Bradford, a partnership between the Council, Job Centre Plus, the Chamber of Commerce and Keighley Business Partnership.

The Bradford scheme will be based on Jobs@Manningham that has existed for two and a half years.

During this time the project has gained more than 800 jobs for 16 to 25-year-olds in Manningham and Girlington.

The new project will also work in partnership with other job brokerage schemes such as @ Work in the Bradford Trident area and the Regen 2000 area.

The scheme will cost about £900,000 in total, made up of a variety of funding.

Councillor Simon Cooke, executive member for regeneration, said: "The focus of our investment activity is to make it as attractive as possible for companies to expand and move into the area.

"But this is coupled with a determination to ensure that local people gain the maximum benefit through increased job opportunities."

Project manager James Murgatroyd said: "We are pleased to receive the funding as is means we have managed to demonstrate schemes like this are very effective at getting to people.

"It is about giving them the confidence, as unemployed people often suffer from low expectations."