Initiative to help vulnerable young Londoners into work or training secures 13m

The joint funding from the Mayor of London’s Office and the European Social Fund will be focused on young people with learning disabilities and those at risk of dropping out of school or college.

The programme, to be delivered by the Greater London Authority, will form part of a £50m pot that will support young people in London over the next four years.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: "Only too recently we've seen the damage that can be caused to our city by those who, for whatever reason, do not have a purpose in life.

"London's young people are London's future and it is vital that nobody is left behind and everyone has the same opportunity to learn, train or work. That means carefully targeting this valuable investment in our city to catch those young Londoners who are at risk at the earliest opportunity."

The European Social Fund has perviously invested in programmes to help young Londoners. One example is the Generating Opportunities project, run by the London Training and Employment Network. It works with 14- to 19-year-olds in London, offering support with literacy and numeracy, as well as help into jobs and skills training.

Toyin Fagbemi from the network said: "The project offers alternative learning opportunities for young people, which, when combined with additional wraparound support, provides opportunities for them to achieve and progress into learning and employment. Since the programme started we have had great success in turning many young lives around."