A TENBY jobseeker has found a new career designing Web pages, thanks to the Government's New Deal jobs and training initiative.

Simon Green left school at 16 with the intention of getting a job, but found it extremely difficult to find any permanent employment. To improve his job prospects, he did a short interior design course at Pembrokeshire College, Haverfordwest.

By the age of 18, however, having moved to a new area, Simon still had not managed to find any work and was becoming disillusioned about his future. Luckily, he was accepted on a New Deal for Young People programme, which identified that he needed further training in his chosen fields.

New Deal 18-24 is a Government initiative aimed at getting jobseekers back to work. The participant is allocated a dedicated New Deal personal adviser who can offer the job seeker one of four options: full-time employment, work with the voluntary sector, work with the Environment Task Force or full-time education or training.

Simon went on to gain a national diploma in Interior Design after 12 months study and, after moving to Tenby in 2000, decided that he would like to use his design skills to develop a career in web design.

With help from Careers Wales West, Simon was able to attend a short HTML course locally, and followed this up by returning to New Deal for further guidance.

Through his personal adviser, Richard Passfield, at Tenby Jobcentre and Careers Wales West, Simon gained some voluntary experience with the Prince's Trust Volunteers and IWS Solutions, in Haverfordwest.

Whilst on placement, Simon was spotted by a visiting tutor who, impressed by his abilities, asked him to become involved in working on 'live' websites in a business environment at ICT Marketing, Narberth.

He was helped to buy a second-hand car, which then enabled him to start as a full-time commercial web designer. The employer was supported by the New Deal Employer Financial Incentive.

"I think New Deal is a great idea. It has really helped me sort out my life and get a job. I think other people will benefit greatly from this service," said Simon.

Richard Passfield, New Deal personal adviser, Tenby Jobcentre, added: "The New Deal has not only contributed greatly to Simon's confidence and motivation, but also allowed him to gain further IT qualifications in the process. The fact that Simon was on New Deal meant that he was able to demonstrate his talent in a voluntary work placement whilst honing his skills. In addition, the employer was supported by the New Deal."