TRAINING agencies across the region have joined forces to make sure local people get the chance to work at a multi-million pound supermarket development on Tyneside.

The new Morrisons supermarket in Jarrow, South Tyneside, intends to employ up to 350 people when it opens its doors in the summer.

As part of an agreement with South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council, the supermarket chain has agreed to guarantee at least 40 interviews for local unemployed people who have been through a set training programme.

The programme is being put together with cash from the Flexible Training Fund, backed by the Government's Single Regeneration Budget scheme.

To coordinate the job efforts, the Job Linkage project within South Tyneside Council has linked up with the Employment service and Jigsaw Training.

The trainers will concentrate on employability training, interview techniques, personal development skills and general advice on how to approach a prospective employer.

Shona Duncan, Job Linkage development officer at South Tyneside council, said: "It guarantees an interview at the end of it which will give people the chance to sell themselves to a high profile employer."

The training scheme is available to any unemployed person living in the South Tyneside area. Anyone interested in the scheme should call Jarrow Job Centre on 0191-451 3000.