BOLTON education bosses are joining forces with main players in the jobs market to try and create opportunities for "alienated" teenagers.

Statistics show 11 per cent of Bolton 16-year-olds leave school with no formal qualifications. Nationally the figure is 10 per cent.

Now Bolton Education Authority has joined with neighbouring councils, youth services, careers services, the Training and Enterprise Councils and Rathbone Community Industry - a national voluntary organisation working with troubled young people - to bid for £250,000 of government cash.

The consortium, known as The Crescent Partnership, will work to plug the gap in provision which currently exists.

The LEA has already taken several positive steps and has created pupil referral units in three of its secondary schools where disaffected teenagers are taught in smaller groups by specifically qualified staff.

Last year the education department set up and opened Youth Challenge, a centre aimed at educating alienated youngsters in a more positive, relevant way.

The Challenge offers non-vocational education alongside the vocational and gives students positive support and counselling.

The success of the Challenge, already being hailed by many parents whose children have benefited, has compelled the LEA to build on the success. Mr Terry Piggott, Deputy Director of Education in Bolton, said: "Building on the work of Youth Challenge certainly has mileage as far as we're concerned.

"Our success is best measured by the fact that kids are attending, those finishing this time at 16 are enrolling on vocational couses at the college and parents too are happy with the effect the Challenge is having on their child."

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