STUDENTS across Lancashire are taking part in a pilot project aiming to train young people in cutting-edge digital skills.

Digital Advantage is offering around 200 youngsters the chance to get help to develop and plan their own digital business start-up and pitch their product or service to an industry panel, with the best winning a £2,000 prize to support starting up a business.

Students at Nelson and Colne College, Blackburn College, Burnley College and Haslingden High School are taking part in the scheme, which will run until May.

The pop-up agency offers 16 to 18-year-olds 24 hours of work experience and training in specialist, practical digital skills with a further 24 hours of guided support.

It is run by The White Room and supported by Digital Lancashire.

On Thursday, Cllr Jennifer Mein, leader of Lancashire County Council, visited Nelson and Colne College to meet a group of young people who taking part in Digital Advantage.

She said: “It was inspiring to meet these young people and hear about how Digital Advantage has helped to give them the skills they need to thrive.”

Lisa Moizer, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s skills and employment manager, said:

“The pace of technological change makes it difficult for schools and colleges to keep up-to-date, so there aren’t enough people leaving education with the digital skills employers need.

“We are creating a pipeline of students and graduates with cutting-edge creative and digital skills and, at the same time, improving their employability and life chances."

It is hoped the skills will give the students the ability to work in digital, creative, software and computer science businesses, which employ around 36,000 in the county.

The county council said 57 per cent of fast-growing businesses in a 2015 Work Foundation Report said they struggled to find technically-capable staff with advanced IT or software skills.

The survey covered Blackburn.