Volunteering project is set to tackle youth unemployment in rural Scotland.

Scotland’s youth volunteering agency is to work with young people in rural areas in a bid to boost their chances of finding work.

ProjectScotland has been awarded Scottish Government funding to significantly expand its operations in rural areas taking the number of young Scots it supports in the north and south west of the country to 230 a year.

The volunteering agency offers 16 to 30 year olds full-time structured volunteering opportunities with charities across Scotland.

Around 7 out of 10 ProjectScotland volunteers go on to work, education or training.

Paul Reddish, chief executive of ProjectScotland, said: “The youth unemployment figure is still double that of the overall figure so there is more work to do to improve the situation for young people across Scotland.

“Our volunteering opportunities help young people get on in life by increasing their employment skills and confidence with the support of a mentor. We believe in the young people of Scotland and we want to help show everyone just how talented they are.”

ProjectScotland provides opportunities for volunteers in a variety of sectors, including arts, sports, media, animal care and the environment. Each volunteer has the chance to be supported by a mentor and to access employability workshops.

The Scottish Government is contributing 50% of the funds for the £300,000 initiative.

Angela Constance, minister for youth employment, said: “ProjectScotland has built a strong record in supporting positive job and training outcomes for young people, through working closely with employers and third sector organisations. This funding will take ProjectScotland’s work even further and I look forward to following its progress closely.”