WINNING a contract with BMW against tough competition to provide team building training has delighted staff at Okehampton Youth Hostel.

As well as a major boost to the business, the contract will extend the hostel's season so more staff can be taken on permanently.

Manager John Elson said the contract was in partnership with a West Country training provider and would consist of three-day intensive team building expeditions.

'We will be taking groups of BMW technicians every other week until at least the end of the year, said Mr Elson. 'They will have to rely on each other to get them through a series of tasks under really stressful conditions.

'The course is designed to put them under the sort of stress that they may find in a work situation.'

Participants will be from garages across the country and there are plans to extend the contract through next year.

Okehampton Youth Hostel's main business is during the summer months, providing accommodation and outdoor activities on Dartmoor to schools, youth groups and families.

The team building exercise has already been tried and tested and developed for Worcester College of Technology which runs a training programme from Okehampton Youth Hostel for pre-public services students intending to enter the police, fire brigade or military services. The college sends groups to the hostel every couple of months throughout the year.

Mr Elson said this latest contract was a very important development for the hostel because it had been up against some really tough competition: 'There were some very big centres going for it, like the Calshot Centre in Dorset which is run by the county council,' he said. 'The work we had done with Worcester College was a big help in us securing the contract.'

The youth hostel, which currently employs 27 staff, is due to submit a bid for funding from Objective Two to construct a double classroom to add to its training facilities. It needs around £110,000 but any funding will have to be matched.