due to staff cutbacks by businesses still not fully recovered from the recession.

A temporary student employment agency has been set up, Youth and Sport Minister the Hon. Pam Gordon announced yesterday.

Sen. Gordon noted the Government summer day camp programme had been "deluged'' by students looking for work.

Jobs have been found for 164 of the students, leaving 400-plus without work.

The number of applicants for the programme last year was "nowhere near'' the amount this year, she said.

The students had also been unable to find work through the Government Employment Agency which has seen a drop in registration because many employers have cut back their hiring practices, Sen. Gordon said.

To address the problem, the Chores Corps Programme was set up for high school and college-age students from 16 years up.

Funded by the National Youth Council by way of its Government grant and administered by the Youth and Sport Ministry, it officially opens next Tuesday.

"We felt there were just too many young people out there this summer in need of jobs,'' Sen. Gordon said.

"We wanted to keep as many young people off the streets as possible and enable them to create job skills and see what it is like to make time and be consistent.'' She added Government was also sympathetic to the difficulties of students saving for higher education expenses.

Chores Corps coordinator Miss Zolee Davis will sign up prospective employers and match the jobless students with jobs.

"We hope to place students in temporary job projects like office or clerical duties, messenger services, deliveries, grass cutting, window cleaning, garage cleaning, baby-sitting, or whatever jobs there are that do not require specialised training (construction jobs are excluded),'' Sen. Gordon explained.

Anyone who has work available is urged to sign up with Miss Davis at 295-6081 next Tuesday.

Unemployed students are invited to register at a special sign-up session on Friday at Ministry headquarters on Court Street.

Sen. Gordon said minimum wage guidelines had been assigned to the different job categories, taking into account whether the student was high school or college age.

They ranged from $125 for high schools students placed in the sales field to $324 for college students placed in an office.