'We can train you to get people into jobs'

Over the last 18 years, the pioneering Hopes organisation has helped get jobs for more than 800 people in Holme Wood.

Now the group, based at the Holme Christian Care Centre off Tong Lane, plans to share its experience with individuals and community organisations to help them beat unemployment in their areas.

Andy Dalton, a Hopes employment outreach worker, said the Tong ward, which includes Holme Wood, was one of the worst in the city for unemployment.

He said the unemployment rate was 15.4 per cent but despite this Hopes staff had managed to tackle the problem of joblessness through re-training, support and encouragement.

"We set up in the early 1980s but it's only really during the last seven or eight years that our work with the unemployed has really mushroomed," he said.

"We get about 200 to 250 people coming through our doors each week, which isn't bad considering we are only open for four days a week.

"We want to provide a hands-on approach through the mentoring scheme where we link up with other community groups and encourage people to set up similar schemes to ours.

"A lot of good practices have been developed over the years which can be passed on and used to tackle unemployment in others areas in Bradford."

He said a paid worker or a volunteer could refer themselves to the programme or a nominee from a community group located in the European Priority 5 area of the city - which covers the most deprived inner city areas.

They would learn skills to help the jobless with form filling, interview techniques and job searches, and also advice on how to set up links with business to get these people into employment.

Advice would also be given on how to obtain funding from sources like the European Regional Development Fund and the Single Regeneration Budget.

The mentoring scheme will involve about six hours of training per week over a six-month period. For more details contact (01274) 689306.