EDUCATION services in Suffolk have received a major funding boost, it was revealed today.The county is to benefit from £6 million in European funding to target education services amongst disadvantaged groups.

EDUCATION services in Suffolk have received a major funding boost, it was revealed today.

The county is to benefit from £6 million in European funding to target education services amongst disadvantaged groups.

The money will be used to target specific groups, such as the unemployed and young people who have been excluded from education or training or who have dropped out of school.

The money has been granted to the Learning and Skills Council for Suffolk, which is now asking for voluntary and community groups and training providers to come forward to bid for a share of the cash.

A prospectus setting out how the money will be allocated to bidders has been published and the money has been given to the county to specifically target new areas of training for people who might otherwise not use education services.

This money brings the total of European funding for education in Suffolk to £9 million since 2002.

Since then, European-funded projects have been used by nearly 9,500 people in Suffolk, more than 5,000 of whom had no previous qualifications.

Nick Foster, executive director of the Learning and Skills Council for Suffolk said: "This type of funding is vital to help people who might otherwise miss out on the benefits of education and training.

"This is not just a great opportunity for the individuals involved, it brings great benefits to the economy as well through more people gaining the confidence and qualifications to contribute to and strengthen the local workforce."

A further funding boost to the local economy has been announced by Jobcentre Plus, which has allocated £1 million for new projects.

The projects will also target disadvantaged groups, such as people returning to work after illness or disability, ethnic minorities and older workers.

Jobcentre Plus, which was created when the Government run Jobcentre and Benefits Agency were merged, will work closely with the Learning and Skills Council to help the ensure the two sets of funding benefits as many people as possible.

Copies of the prospectus which contains details about the funding available and how to bid is available to community and voluntary groups and training providers throughout Suffolk. For more information contact Jackie Pannifer on 01473 883015.

How would you like to see the money spent? Write in to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk or visit the forum at www.eveningstar.co.uk