YOUNG offenders are putting their time behind bars to good use and are celebrating exam success with online learning.

Northallerton College learndirect works in partnership with the Prison Service, to deliver literacy and numeracy courses.

And in the current academic year at Northallerton's Young Offenders Institution, tutor Julia Usman has a 100 per cent achievement rate.

The young offenders attend the courses as part of the resettlement programme in the prison to enhance their employability on release.

Training project co-ordinator Lynn Wild said: "This scheme is an important and successful additional feature of the college's learndirect operation, one which we know is benefiting the lads as they prepare to move on."

Learndirect established the project in December last year and have worked with nearly 50 offenders.