ALMOST 140 long-term jobless people have found their way back into employment through a Dudley welfare-to-work organisation.

A4e, a nationwide group with offices in Wolverhampton Street, has given support and advice to help 139 people find work in its Dudley area - which also covers Halesowen, Stourbridge and Kidderminster.

The job hunters, all of whom had been out of work for more than 12 months, are the first local “graduates” of the Flexible New Deal programme – a back-to-work initiative launched across the UK last October.

Under the scheme, A4e works with local businesses to profile the needs of existing and future job openings - matching them to the skills and abilities of Flexible New Deal candidates who receive up to 18 months of support, advice and guidance, including weekly mentoring.

Dudley A4e manager Jenny Smith said: “Flexible New Deal is very different from previous initiatives in that it is all about one-to-one support rather than a classroom environment and greater efforts have been made to really get to know local businesses and their needs.”