Town wins £2.3m job creation fund

About half of the jobs are expected to be created in Hastings

A multi-million pound scheme to create more than 350 jobs for young unemployed people in Sussex has been announced.

Hastings Borough Council has secured £2.3m worth of funds for a scheme to help 18 to 24-year-olds who have been out of work for more than nine months.

It said half of the jobs would be located within the town, with the rest spread across East Sussex.

The posts will be with voluntary organisations, charities, local authorities and other public bodies.

Hastings council bid for the money, from the government's Future Jobs Fund, on behalf of a county-wide partnership.

Councillor Matthew Lock said: "This is just what Hastings needs in this current climate. We want to look forward, past this recession and creating new jobs and training opportunities is the way to do exactly this.

"Too many young people leave Hastings because they can't find employment; this is one step towards turning this around.

"We are looking at the finer details of the bid now and will find out exactly how and when the money will be spent.

"It may be that we follow a phased approach, but these details will become clear as we meet with our colleagues."