HELEN Marks (pictured) is enjoying her salad days after engineering herself a pizza the action at a new South Wales superstore.

Rookie pizza-maker Helen, 19, landed the 25,000th New Deal for Young People job in Wales at the Morrison supermarket, in Rogerstone, after stalling an idea to become a full-time mechanic.

New Deal for Young People is a scheme for those aged 18-24, jobless and claiming benefits for at least six months.

Helen, who lives with her mother and two younger brothers and younger sister at Temperance Hill, Risca, trained as a mechanic but could not find a permanent job. Helen, who trained at Crosskeys College and worked at a garage in Abercarn switched careers when work dried up.

And five weeks into her new job she is enjoying the challenge working part-time in the pizza preparation section of the Bradford-based supermarket chain's new Gwent store.

The former St David's Foundation Blackwood charity shop worker who studied for a retail National Vocational Qualification(NVQ) with Caerphilly county borough council, said: "I have always been interested in retail so this was an ideal chance for me. I enjoyed working with engines from a young age and would perhaps like to have a garage of my own some day but this job is equally interesting and I hope to get a full time position here at Morrisons soon."

Helen was feted as the 25,000th New Deal success at a special celebration staged at Llancaiach Fawr Living History Museum, Nelson, near Blackwood.

She was given a certificate and a bouquet from Welsh Office minister Don Touhig, who said: "I am pleased to note that more than 25,000 young people have secured jobs since the New Deal for Young People was launched in Wales."