A multi-million pound project to help young people in Oxford was being launched today by employment minister Andrew Smith.

More than £8m is to be spent providing training, employment and accommodation for young people in the city council's Millennium project - known as The Junction.

Among the benefits will be a new youth training and advice centre on the site of the Abbey Place car park, beside the Oxford College of Education, to provide accommodation for 50 people.

The city council and the Warden Housing Association have put up £7m and the Government £1.26m for the project. A wide range of organisations and companies has also pledged support.

Mr Smith, MP for Oxford East, said: "The Junction is an exciting project that demonstrates clearly what can be achieved when the public and private sector work together with a common goal. "By bringing together key organisations in the city, the city council has formed a powerful partnership which can help young people much more effectively."

The Government hopes the project, which will be aimed mainly at disadvantaged young people aged 16-25, will tie in with its New Deal employment programme.

Today's launch was also aimed at attracting an extra £500,000 of investment.

Lord Mayor Carole Roberts said: "The scheme aims to work with the most severely disadvantaged young people, but is targeted at all young people in the city.

"It will help provide an integrated approach to meeting the needs of young people and help them become independent."

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