A NEW initiative to help the long-term unemployed back into work is under way in the region.

Transport Routeway is a partnership between the Employment service, the Tyneside Transport Employer Coalition and Equus, the training organisation.

For three years, Equus has worked with Brian Souter and Stagecoach providing skills training to the long-term unemployed in Stagecoach's companies in the North-East and Scotland.

The training has taken place in a double-decker bus, converted into a mobile training facility. Now the bus is on its way to Tyneside.

Transport Routeway offers basic skills training and confidence-building, with the prospect of known jobs at the end of the course.

Members of the Transport Coalition (Nexus, Newcastle Airport, Stagecoach, Go-Ahead and Arriva) identify upcoming vacancies in advance, which might not otherwise be easily available to New Deal clients.

The timing of recruitment of trainees and the running of courses is planned to coincide with jobs for those who will meet the criteria.

The three-way partnership is a one-off in the UK, providing a much more focused and effective approach to placing the long-term unemployed in jobs.

Jobs on offer in particular, though the project, are for bus drivers, customer assistants, baggage handlers and Metro staff, including train drivers.

The scheme has a target of training 200 people within its first year.

Equus chairman Bruce Hugman said: "We have worked with all the major transport groups and their subsidiaries, in bus and train divisions across the UK, to develop the Transport Routeway Project.

He said the group was hoping to help lots of New Deal clients find satisfying work, for employers who were keen to find them."

Ruth Thompson, chairman of the Tyne and wear Employer's Coalition, said: "This is an exciting initiative for North-East employers - identifying where jobs are and at the same time offering an opportunity for people to actually acquire the skills to do the jobs."