Employers and training providers have started a new scheme to address a skills mismatch in the Bradford job market.

The district's changing pattern of employment, with the decline in manufacturing and textile jobs, has led to a need for re-training among workers.

Now Bradford Chamber of Commerce is spearheading the project in an effort to let unemployed workers know how they can get the skills needed for the jobs that are available.

The chamber is working with the JobCentre Plus, Yorkshire Forward and the Learning and Skills Council for Yorkshire, to address the problem through the scheme which is being piloted in the city.

Sue Potts, capacity building implementation manager at the chamber, said there had been an encouraging response to the new project. "It is a question of focusing training on the needs of the job sector instead of looking at local labour markets," she said. "We need to be taking a demand-led app-roach, looking at the employers needs first.

"Within Bradford there are certain sector shortages which need to be addressed. Our next job is to go out to the employers and find out exactly where they think their training and future recruitment needs lie."

Ian Hastings, JobCentre Plus business development manager, said centre staff used to attempt to find jobs which matched the skills of people using the centre, rather than looking at the needs of local business.

He said examples included an ongoing need for cooks specialising in Asian cuisine and a shortage of people with skills in the construction industry.