PRIME Minister Tony Blair today praised the progress of the New Deal in Lancashire as the jobs scheme's first set of figures were released.

More than 3,000 young people in Lancashire have started on the New Deal since its launch in April, with 1,000 of them already in jobs.

Mr Blair told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph he believes the successes of the people of Lancashire are an example to the rest of the country.

He said: "Lancashire knows all about the waste of youth unemployment, the scandal of young people who have no stake in our future. It's why there is such determination to give everyone the chance to make their contribution, use their talents.

"It was this community spirit I witnessed for myself when I came to Blackburn earlier this month to point to the success you have made of the Education Action Zone in the hope other areas will follow your lead.

"And it is this same spirit of partnership - backed by the determination to tackle unemployment - that is behind the New Labour Government's launch of the New Deal."

Figures today reveal more than 100,000 young people across Britain have already moved into a job, training, voluntary or environmental work through the New Deal.

Nearly 60,000 have gone into jobs, subsidised or unsubsidised.

Mr Blair said: "This is no quick-fix scheme whose only aim is to shovel the jobless into the first available scheme or vacancy. This is about individual help, matching the wasted talents to real jobs and training. About building careers, not massaging the unemployment figures. "It is also about seeing that firms benefit too, by ensuring they get the right person for their vacancy. That takes time too but it is also beginning to prove its worth."

Mr Blair said that thanks to the New Deal unemployment among the young was now down nationally to levels not seen for 20 years, and in long-term unemployment among the young in Lancashire has fallen by 50 per cent since the election.

The New Deal is now being extended to other groups including the older long-term unemployed, lone parents and the disabled.

Mr Blair said "The New Deal is a flagship policy of this New Labour Government. It is one of our key pledges. And just like our pledges on cutting class sizes for infants, reducing hospital waiting lists, tackling youth crime, and building a stable economic platform, we are delivering. As we will by getting 250,000 young people off welfare and into work by the next election.

"Delivering these pledges is vital to building the modern, fairer country that you want. It will need us all working together to achieve this goal. And the New Deal shows the way forward."

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