A project run by the group Rights and Fairness Telford (RAFT) has seen disadvantaged people trained in interview techniques and essential skills.

The scheme was launched after Marie McCreadie, owner of Cleveland Cleaning Ltd, based in Madeley, was asked if she had any vacancies for members.

She said: “The RAFT group are based at Meeting Point House and we do the cleaning there.

“Once when we were cleaning someone from the project asked us if we had any jobs going and although I didn’t have any vacancies at the time, we got talking.

“Since then I have delivered training sessions for young disadvantaged people to try to get back into work and we have been able to take one person on.”

As a result Keiran Massie, 26, has since started working at the family run company.

He said: “I was so pleased when I was offered the job, I didn’t think I would be able to get one.

“It is because of the training we had that I feel like I can do it now.”

The training includes an induction to work, questions to ask in an interview, health and safety and how to clean.

Patrick Kearney, Up-Start project co-ordinator at RAFT, said: “I was so pleased we were able to introduce the training sessions with Cleveland Cleaning Ltd.

“It is a win, win, win situation.

“Marie was kind to provide the training free of charge and the fact that Massie has been taken on will motivate others to go forward for training.

“This is something we can build on, we are now meeting with a lot of local employers to make them aware we have a pool of talent and can use Cleveland Cleaning as the successful example.”

Members of RAFT can refer themselves or are referred by the Department for Work and Pensions. It includes people aged between 15 and 24 in a variety of circumstances which mean they are or at risk of being not in employment, education or training (NEET).

Mrs McCreadie said she did not hesitate to get involved in the project and was very impressed with the trainees.

“It was so rewarding to see the young people learning and a lot of it was things they had just not thought about,” she added.

“Some of them had walked for about an hour to get to the venue because they didn’t have transport, I was impressed with their dedication.”

She said it is something she would like to be more involved in as she is part of the Telford Pulling Together group, which businesses join and pledge to do more for the community and area they work in.