Devon County Council has unveiled a raft of initiatives aimed at helping to reduce youth unemployment.

The county council is investing £150,000 into the projects and working with a number of partners across Devon.

The schemes range from helping small businesses take on apprentices, creating high quality work placements, acting as a 'business angel' to young people with marketable ideas and improving careers guidance and links with employers for students in secondary schools.

Devon is working with the Devon Education Business Partnership to develop high quality work placements in key sectors of the economy and to help employers select suitable students.

The county council is also linking up with the Devon Education Business Partnership to develop young people's entrepreneurial skills.

Up until June, students will receive business mentoring for inventions they have come up with in the Big Bang South West competition. Five individual or group inventors will be eligible for a 'business angel' bursary of £250 each.

Across the county, staff in careers advice and in Devon's 37 secondary schools and Further Education colleges will have their knowledge of the local economy strengthened in a project with Careers SW and the 14-19 partnerships. This will train staff as well as counsel Year 11 and Year 13 students on job opportunities and apprenticeships for those not going on to further or higher education.

A booklet will also be made available for all 53,000 13 to 19-year-olds and their families.