A PROJECT aimed at teenagers who are not in work or training has been given a £3.5million boost.

Lancashire County Council has secured the additional funding from the European Social Fund through the Skills Funding Agency and the Young People’s Learning Agency.

The funding will be targeted at young people aged between 14 and 18 who are not in employment, education or training, across Lancashire the county council area.

The process of providing more than 1,600 young people with support is already under way.

County Councillor Mark Perks, said: “I am delighted that the county council and the organisations we work closely with have been awarded this additional funding.

“Tackling the problem of young people who, for whatever reason, don’t go on to college or to find a job is one of our highest priorities.

“The good thing about this additional funding is that it won’t just be used to provide support services for young people who are not in work or college, but it will also be targeted at young people who may be at risk of being unemployed or not in further education.”

While on the programme, the help that young people can expect to receive includes mentoring on a one-to-one basis, an individual programme of support and training and literacy, num-eracy and ICT skills training.