A NEW project to help pupils excluded from Southampton's schools is to be officially launched next week.

The Employability Plus Project aims to give youngsters aged between 14 and 16 years a chance to learn on the job in areas such as hair and beauty, plumbing, photography and information technology.

With a £300,000 grant from The European Social Fund, the project spearheaded by Solent Skill Quest Ltd, an education business partnership, has 56 young people on its books.

Paul Tomlinson, Employability Plus project manager, said the city-wide support programme to be formally unveiled next Tuesday would be the first of its kind in Southampton.

"This project is about providing a tailor-made response to the needs of a young person who has been excluded from school or who is in danger of being excluded.

"So far, we have run a number of initiatives such as running IT sessions. We are also looking at setting up basic skills courses at Chamberlayne Park School and Woodlands Community School."

There are currently more than 100 excluded 14 to 16-year-olds in Southampton attending The Melbourne Centre Pupil Referral Unit.

Solent Skill Quest estimates that there are a further 300 pupils on the "at risk" register of being excluded.

The programme is scheduled to run for three years and will be managed by Solent Skill Quest, who will work closely with Southampton local education authority, schools and the Connexions career service.

Together they will act upon individual referrals to provide preparation for post-16 education, future employment and work-based learning.