YOUNG local people struggling to find work could be thrown a lifeline thanks to £50,000 grant received by the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester.

The university has been allocated the cash from The Prince’s Countryside Fund to help young people into training and future and employment.

The money will go towards a three-year programme within the RAU’s Rural Skills Centre, offering professional courses in traditional skills and level 1 and level 2 qualifications in areas such as dry stone walling, land-based activities, grooms skills and beekeeping.

James Foster, training manager at the RAU, said: “The Rural Skills Centre aims to address the opportunities for 90 local young people without qualifications. These young people, who are not in education, employment or training (NEETs), may have had a negative experience of school and we hope to provide an opportunity for them to get onto the employment ladder,” he said.

“Our target is for all students to enter full employment or enrolment on apprenticeship schemes or advanced training,” he added.

“We were delighted to have received this grant from The Prince’s Countryside Fund, which will help the RAU continue to make a positive impact on the employment prospects of young people in our local area.”