East Ayrshire set for European funding for 120 new jobs HUNDREDS of new jobs and training posts for out-of-work youngsters are to be created in a key unemployment blackspot, it was announced today. East Ayrshire to receive £248,000 from European Social Fund 123 new jobs to be created Region recieved £720,00 to implement Opportunities for All scheme earlier this year East Ayrshire is to get an additional £248,000 of European Social Fund cash which will create 123 posts for 16-to-19-year-olds seeking workplace training, youth employment minister Angela Constance announced. The Minister also announced that a separate scheme, Community Jobs Scotland (CJS), will now create 1400 posts this year, an increase of 400 on initial plans. East Ayrshire was indentified as one of the areas of Scotland which has been badly hit by youth unemployment earlier this year. "I am very pleased to be able to visit the area and hear how this investment is making a difference," Ms Constance said today. Further funding will help even more young people take up opportunities to improve their job prospects. It is also quite appropriate that today we can celebrate the work of Community Jobs Scotland who have now placed 2,500 people into work. A further 400 placements will ensure many more young people nationwide get the benefit of paid employment through third sector involvement and improve their prospects of sustainable opportunities. East Ayrshire has already received £720,000 to implement Opportunities for All earlier this year. Martin Sime, chief executive of SCVO said Community Jobs Scotland has been proven to tackle youth employment and should be rolled out. "With the right investment this model could be expanded and replicated across Scotland," Mr Sime said. Funding for the extra 400 jobs announced today is a good start but with thousands of young people facing long-term unemployment in Scotland there's a lot more work to do.