A scheme to help ethnic minorities find work and kick-start their future careers is being supported by a Bradford building firm.

Fernlee Industries, of Wakefield Road, Bradford, has joined Bradford and Northern Housing Association's Youthbuild programme, which aims to train young people from ethnic minorities in the construction industry.

Eight Asian and Afro-Caribbean men have become the first to start work on a bricklaying contract with the housing association, after being recruited by Fernlee Industries as trainee bricklayers.

The men on the scheme are Arnold Dube, James Cooper, Aaris Azad, Mohammed Arfan, Umar Akbar, Asim Mamood, Ansar Iqbal and Abid Hussain.

The company hopes the project will lead to similar schemes across the district.

Fernlee's managing director Paul Meer said the scheme could help lift community spirit after the devastation of the Bradford riots last July and he said results were already visible.

"The previously unemployed and socially excluded will acquire marketable skills to get the jobs that will, hopefully, make them want to stay and be a part of the community," he said.

"The thing that has impressed me about Youthbuild is the commitment of the trainees. They want to learn a trade, to get out of bed in the morning and to get their NVQs. The big hope is that we will all be role models."

The eight men have all been unemployed for at least six months and are all under 21. Most of them joined the scheme six weeks ago.

They are working to improve housing and the environment in Enfield Road, in the Highfield area of Keighley, by repairing garden walls and removing outhouses and disused outside toilets.

Mr Meer said: "The eight trainees are mainly from Asian backgrounds.They work on site for four days a week and attend Keighley college for a day.