YOUNGSTERS facing a workless future are to be sent rock climbing as part of an innovative programme to get 500 Tees Valley neets into work or training.

Welfare to work specialists Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) has been awarded a two and a half year contract to run a new service working with Middlesbrough neets (not in education, employment or training).

The contract, awarded by the Government's Skills Funding Agency, has set separate targets for numbers to be placed into employment and training.

The 500 youngsters the service will engage with between now and December 2013 include teenagers from the age of 14, who may still be at school but are in danger of becoming neets.

It follows growing fears of a "lost generation", with 963,000 youngsters aged 16 to 24 out of work in the UK.

In the North-East, 26,565 young people - or one in ten - are claiming benefits, although the true number not in work is likely to be more than double that.

Middlesbrough based PPDG employment coach Jim Smith said a large part of the new service's work was showing the youngsters they had a future by building their confidence.

As part of this some will be sent on outward bound activities where they can build their teamwork skills.

Mr Smith said: "One of the first things we address is confidence or motivation.

"The one size fits all approach through classroom learning just doesn't suit everyone so we have a wide ranging programme of outdoor activities to ensure people are motivated to attend.

"If you enjoy learning it becomes much easier so we use outward bound activities such as caving or rock-climbing to help develop teamwork and improve problem solving skills.

"Often it's the first time young people have felt they've achieved something worthwhile which can act as a springboard in gaining new employability skills.

"In the past it has tended to be the ones still at school, but over the summer we are looking to do it with some of the school leavers."

Mr Smith believed the contract was recognition for the company's past success in support for 14-19 year-olds post education.

He added: "This is the second contract of its type for us, we were running one a few years ago.

"It is in response to the higher levels of unemployment within the age group."

In the North-East PPDG, which is part of the Australia based Employment Services Holdings group, has centres at Middlesbrough, Redcar, Stockton and Sunderland.

The Skills Funding Agency is part of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and invests £4bn a year in training for adults in England.