MORE and more young people in Burnley are becoming disaffected by the apparent lack of jobs in the town, it has been claimed.

With an overall unemployment rate of just 3.1 per cent and the total official number of jobless at 1,341, Burnley appears to be a prosperous area in which to live and work, with ample opportunities for young people.

The number of vacancies at the Jobcentre and in the media also seemed to be at a high level, with 3,242 unfilled vacancies.

But youngsters are having to look further afield for employment opportunities, councillors were told.

Members of Burnley's economic and property committee heard that the situation was highlighted by the fact that training provider ITEC was no longer able to offer work-based Xtend and Modern Apprenticeship schemes.

Burnley College is now the only provider to offer these programmes. To find the true picture, young people, employers, training providers and parents will be questioned in a joint initiative between the Training and Employment Access Point and East Lancashire Careers Service.

The survey will investigate just what opportunities are available to young people and the problems they face.

Coun Edward Fisk said the job opportunities on offer at the Jobcentre were not always within a reasonable travelling distance.

He knew of one youngster who had been offered the chance of a job in Bangor. He couldn't afford to move there and travel was obviously out of the question.

"These figures should be made right. To say there are that many job vacancies in Burnley is totally wrong,'' he said.

Coun Stephen Wolski said: "They seem to regard a travel to work area as being within an hour's travelling distance.

"That may be all right for better paid, qualified people but it is too much for a youngster just starting work and expected to pay for the transport from his own money."

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