WORK placements thousands of miles away from home in Poland improved the job prospects of nine young people from the North-East.
The six men and three women from Stanley, Consett and South Shields were sent to Lodz and Warsaw on a Prince's Trust Work Away project so that they could boost their confidence by gaining experience and exchanging skills and ideas.
The group shared their experiences of working on landscape gardening and in a Lodz orphanage with the trust's national chief executive, Tom Shebbeare, when he presented them with certificates commemorating their achievements.
The trip was their first foreign visit and was funded by the European Union's Leonardo da Vinci Programme. It costs about £1,500 to send a young person on a Work Away programme and 25 from all parts of the region have taken part this year.
Tom Shebbeare told the group he was impressed by their courage and commitment. He said: "You have achieved a fantastic amount and I have no doubt you will remember this trip for the rest of your lives."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article