Pictured: Pertemps Coachright staff are joined by young unemployed clients in Walsall during an initiative that uses sport to inspire people who are trying to secure jobs

A group of young unemployed people in Walsall are looking forward to a brighter future in further education, apprenticeships or other jobs after getting support from local employment and training experts.

A team at the Walsall office of Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) has been working closely with a group of young people who face a wide range of barriers preventing them securing sustainable employment.

The number of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) has risen to 1.16m, official figures show. Almost one in five 16- to 24-year-olds in England were Neet between July and September this year, according to statistics published by the Department for Education.

Pertemps Coachright, a division of PPDG, has enjoyed great success working with the Walsall Neets group. The young people have worked hard to complete employability skills training and are currently working towards their Award in Progression.

Pertemps Coachright delivers community and training programmes which meet the objectives of central and local government policies, using sport, leisure and arts activities to enthuse and educate children, young people and adults.

It manages a variety of projects and contracts designed to engage, motivate and develop disadvantaged and socially marginalised people. The services they deliver have proven to be an invaluable key to opening the door to sustainable employment and occupational living, giving people real opportunities to change their lives.

PPDG Walsall centre manager Alex Saunders said: "Working with the Neets group has been a welcome opportunity and there is a great need to support them. It's been a rewarding experience seeing this group grow in confidence and they are now using their new skills to move them forward into either apprenticeships, further education or employment."

Kieran Horton said: "I didn't much favour the idea at first of going on to the Neets programme. Since leaving school I have been on several training programmes and not really gained a lot from them. But since I started with PPDG the programme has helped me in many ways.

"I feel confident now about how to apply for job vacancies and completing application forms. Also, being in a group environment with people my age means we have had the same barriers and now have a better understanding of how to overcome them. We are currently working with Pertemps Coachright and, through sports activities, I now understand how to work within a team and I will be able to bring these skills into a working environment."

More than 100,000 job seekers have been helped into sustained employment by PPDG. It has also trained over 130,000 people in vocational skills, and more than 175,000 have benefited from professional information, advice and guidance.

PPDG's team of employment experts provides advice on benefits, confidence building, one-to-one support, CV and interview preparation as well as finding the right job or training course. In partnership with DWP, the Ministry of Justice and Jobcentre Plus, PPDG delivers a diverse range of employment and training initiatives and many programmes financed by the European Social Fund. PPDG came fourth in The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For 2011.

For more information about Pertemps People Development Group, please visit their website here: www.ppdg.co.uk