A TEMPORARY worker has proved so popular with employers that he has been nominated as a recruitment company's "one in a million".

NRG City, in Stockton, has put forward Ian Blackburn as its nominee for National Temporary Workers' Week, when the country's best short-term employees will be honoured.

Mr Blackburn, from Darlington, first registered with NRG three years ago.

"I was attracted to temporary work because I wanted to travel and for me it's worked really well," said the 25-year-old.

"I want to enjoy my life while I'm young. A lot of people go straight from school to college and university and into a permanent job. I'm still planning to have a career, but there's no rush."

NRG first placed Mr Blackburn in a data processing role with Orange for two weeks - which eventually turned into five months - until he embarked on travels to Australia.

Michelle Gaff, manager of NRG, said: "When Ian came back to us on returning to the UK we advised Orange that he was available and they snapped him up for a further seven months."

Since then he has been to Thailand, Japan, the US and Canada, combining his travels with temporary work.

Mr Blackburn, who was awarded temp of the month for NRG in January, is also working for careers service Connexions on its Kick Start Project, a new initiative for disadvantaged people to get help when they need it.

National Temporary Workers' Week runs from June 6 to 10, with awards for various sectors and an overall prize for the country's One in a Million worker presented at a ceremony at the House of Commons.