TWENTY seven young people from the Waterford area are to spend at least nine months living abroad under a new programme aimed at increasing their foreign language skills.

Each participant on the scheme will spend three months in an intensive language course before a six-month work placement in their chosen country. Before leaving for France, Germany, Spain or Italy the students, none of whom attended third level education, spent one month learning basic language skills in Waterford.

The new programme, which is being managed by IBEC's European Orientation Programme (EOP) unit, is being funded by the European Union's Leader Programme, the Department of Social Welfare and the Waterford Partnership.

The first group of 10 young people left Dublin for Germany yesterday, and the remaining participants will begin the foreign leg of their programme later this month. At the conclusion of the 10-month programme each student should be fluent in a continental language thus greatly improving their chances of getting a job either in Ireland or abroad. The total cost of the programme is about £108,000

The original (EOP) programme was aimed at graduates working in marketing for export companies, and this is the first time the scheme has been adopted to take younger people who have not had third level education.

Pictured at Dublin Airport before departing were, from left, Mr Wayne Rooney, leaving for France; Ms Patricia Mansfield, leaving for France; Mr Gregory Fitzgerald, leaving for Germany; Mr John Dunne, director general, IBEC; Ms Aoife Lonergan, leaving for France and Ms Eimear Barron, leaving for Germany.