When he struggled to engage with the traditional curriculum, John was referred by the 'Live and Learn' programme to a local training provider, Motov8, and has since seen his prospects soar.

The 'Live and Learn' programme is run by Herefordshire Council and is supported by the Learning and Skills Council and West Midlands Leaders Board's European Social Fund programme.

It provides practical one-to-one support to 14 to 16 year olds in Herefordshire and Worcestershire who are at risk of dropping out of education, training and employment. After being referred by local secondary schools, the students are placed onto one of a number of vocational courses, such as the project run by Motov8.

Motov8 delivers weekly training sessions in various aspects of motor vehicle maintenance, from repairing exhausts and car suspensions to wheel alignment, and is designed to run alongside compulsary elements of the school curriculum.

John joined the project in September after choosing to persue his interest in cars. During his short time with the project he has excelled in all areas of the course including practical, written and online assessments.

The project has also helped to build John's confidence and it is hoped that, with the full support of his family and friends at Motov8, he wil quickly achieve his 'Fast Fit' qualification before going onto obtain a VRQ (Vocationally Related Qualification) Level 1 qualification in motor vehicle maintenance / motorsport at the end of his two years with Motov8.

John said: ''the team at Motov8 and the training project I am involved with has really helped to develop my confidence and has given me the motivation I need to go on and continue with further education or employment in an industry I am passionate about.''

Dave Finn, centre manager at Motov8, added: ''John is a bright young man but he struggled to get on at school. Since being referred to Motov8 he has really developed both academically and personally to become a real exmaple to the class. He particularly enjoys the hands-on approach to the training and if he continues on this route, he should have a bright future ahead.''

Motov8 is currently working with a 16-strong group of 14 to 16-year-olds in Hereford who have struggled to engage with traditional teaching methods, to prevent them from leaving school and opting out of future education or employment. For more information about Motov8 contact Dave Finn on motov8hereford@tahoo.co.uk