THREE trainee decorators have spoken of their frustration after their work placement was cancelled without warning.Joe Piper, Lloyd Rundle and Stephen Leighton were among the long-term unemployed before starting an NVQ painting and decorating course on a New Deal scheme.

THREE trainee decorators have spoken of their frustration after their work placement was cancelled without warning.

Joe Piper, Lloyd Rundle and Stephen Leighton were among the long-term unemployed before starting an NVQ painting and decorating course on a New Deal scheme.

The trio were on a work placement at Ipswich Town Football Club, set up by Ipswich-based training company Seetec, when they heard that they had to down tools and look elsewhere for work experience.

Joe, 20, of Foundation Street, Ipswich, started the course in January.

He said: "I was gutted. We were really enjoying learning and working with each other when we heard we no longer had the job. We all wanted to do painting and decorating and the course was going well."

Stephen, 24, of Vernon Street, Ipswich, said: "I have lost a lot of my confidence now. I loved what I was doing but we need to be qualified to get work."

Lloyd, also 24, of Surbiton Road, Ipswich, said: "I am slightly deaf and I had been working in noisy environments. I was really enjoying this job."

For several years Job Centre Plus has used Seetec to provide work placements for the long term unemployed on the New Deal scheme.

However, Seetec bosses have now been told New Deal workers studying painting and decorating will no longer be referred to the company for training as there is not enough demand for the trade in Suffolk.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "We regularly review our provision against the labour market and customer needs, targeting help and support where it is needed most, particularly for people that may face difficulties joining the job market."

Seetec operations manager Alan Cooper said the company had been forced to make redundancies

He said: "It has been frustrating. We are working hard to make alternative arrangements for these young men."

Are you in the painting and decorating trade? Can you help these three young men? If you can offer a work placement please contact Seetec on 01473 407297.

Have you been affected by government cuts? What do you think? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk