THIRTY unemployed young people are to get work experience with Newport City Homes as part of the Future Jobs Fund project.

It will shortly welcome the first group of seven who will take up six-month placements in its building trade and community involvement teams.

Over 18 months the organisation, in partnership with the city council, will provide positions for 18 to 24-year-olds who have claimed Job Seekers Allowance for between 39 and 51 weeks.

The young people will be able to get work experience, delivering community benefit, to enhance their CV and at the end of the six months they will be offered extra support to help them find permanent work.

In Newport, the Future Jobs Project was launched in October and a total of 472 placements will be delivered across the city, many within the council, during the next year and a half.

Both staff and residents took part in the interview and decision-making process for NCH's first phase of recruitment.

Claire Douglas, head of community regeneration and involvement, said the project had also shown the commitment from the contractors that were working on the investment programme as some of the placements would be made with them.

"We're very grateful to the residents who gave their time to be involved in the recruitment to these posts.

We've met some brilliant young people that have a lot to offer the organisation and the communities in which they will be working."