A NATIONAL park has agreed to invest in a new project which aims to teach young people skills in danger of dying out.

Anyone between the age of 16 and 24 will be able to apply for an apprenticeship in countryside management being offered for the first time by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority this spring.

Four candidates will be chosen for the 18-month course, which includes both classroom training and hands-on experience in skills such as dry-stone walling and woodland management, as well as a grounding in business studies.

"This is another example of the authority working to support residents of the Dales," said national park chairman, Steve Macar.

"By creating the Dales Apprenticeship Scheme, we will equip and develop young people from the local community with a range of new skills relating to the management of the countryside in the National Park.

"This in turn will help support the local economy by developing a skilled local workforce who will become the next generation of countryside managers."

The apprentices will also receive an allowance through the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.

The Learning Skills Council will pay for the majority of the training costs, while the apprentices will also be given help with travel, lodgings, childcare and equipment.