CITY businesses were encouraged to give youngsters a job or at least work experience when employment minister Jim Knight visited Plymouth.

Mr Knight, Regional Minister for the South West and the Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, was joined by Tim Campbell, winner of TV's The Apprentice, when they met 70 business bosses for breakfast at the Reel cinema.

He then met young people, and their families, and potential recruiters, including the Army and organisations in the care sector, at the Drake Circus mall.

Mr Knight's Backing Young Britain roadshow is touring Britain's cities, encouraging employers to give jobs to people aged 18 to 24.

The Minister told The Herald the Government was anxious to avoid the long-term unemployment problem which affected young people in earlier recessions, for instance in the early 1980s.

He stressed that the Government had pumped £1billion into its Future Jobs Fund, already funding 170,000 jobs around the country.

But he said: "We can't prevent long-term unemployment on our own – we need help."

He said employers were being asked, therefore, to provide jobs, apprenticeships, internships or work experience for young people.

A poll of the 70 Plymouth businesses revealed 92 per cent wanted to provide one of those options.

Mr Knight explained: "(Young people) want to work. They have done their bit in getting qualifications, but have not got anything on their CV in terms of work experience.

"Future Jobs Fund is giving people a chance. But across the city we need much more than that."

Among the people Mr Knight met was Fay Robinson, aged 24 from Barne Barton, who is now working in an admin job backed by the Future Jobs Fund at the Wolseley Trust.

Miss Robinson, who had been unemployed for 11 months prior to joining the Future Jobs Fund, said: "My job gives me the chance to build up experience which I know I will use in future.

"I would say to others in my position don't give up, keep your options open and be ready to try something different."