Out-of-work youngsters are to be asked to help spruce up Bermuda’s historic buildings in an attempt to move them off the wall and into jobs.Plans for a new apprenticeship scheme to breathe life into some of the Island’s crumbling buildings were revealed in the House of Assembly.People aged 17 to 25 years old will be “given a taste of learning” by being taught the basics of different trades for a short period of time.Specialists will offer vocational training in trades such as carpentry, painting, construction and landscaping as they work with youngsters to renovate buildings across Bermuda.Within some properties young people may also get the chance to learn the specialist skills of floor restoration, plumbing and electrics.Minister of Youth Affairs and Families Glenn Blakeney said the new initiative was “trying to serve our young people”.He said it would get them off the streets and offer them short-term jobs. He said he was hopeful it would also “feed their appetite for learning” and lead to the desire to go back to school to seek formal qualifications.Mr Blakeney said: “We are stepping up and trying to assist the unemployed in a more formal way.“We will now be looking to identify historical buildings in need of restoration. We are going to be able to offer a plethora of opportunities.“This means 17- to 25-year-olds will have a vocational commitment to a career path. They will be able to make a significant contribution under the guidance of experts. We are giving young people gainful employment.”Mr Blakeney said he was “really excited” about this new scheme as he hoped it would also teach young Bermudians the importance of work ethics.He said: “Young people have been too busy running after the dollar rather than showing any interest in earning the dollar.This will teach them the discipline and skills that will serve them well in life.”However, Mr Blakeney wasn’t giving give too much away with regards to details and did not say how many young people he expected to be involved.He did however say that the Black Watch Pass well would benefit from the scheme. The historic well, which was once a visitor attraction, is now overgrown with weeds, covered in graffiti and littered with trash.The Minister let slip his plans in the House on Friday during a debate on the Government’s Railway Trail Training Programme. This will see a rotation of 18 unemployed people being training for four to six months in the hope they will take up careers in the landscaping industry.Mr Blakeney said the Railway Trail scheme was “a wonderful idea” and had spurred on his plans for a similar scheme within his Ministry.He said: “We are looking to introduce this apprenticeships scheme. It is our hope that we will introduce it sooner rather than later.“I really hope this will get the blessing of my colleagues so it can go ahead as soon as possible.”Mr Blakeney revealed he had already had meetings to discuss the initiative with Pastor Gary Simons of Cornerstone Bible Fellowship, and representatives from Youth on the Move.He said the apprenticeship scheme would be run in conjunction with the Ministries of Economy, Trade and Industry, Environment and Community Development.Mr Blakeney said he also expected to work closely with Mirrors programme, the Bermuda National Trust and the Island’s parish councils.Talks for this apprenticeship scheme come after the Government’s two-week registration drive found that there were 1,121 people unemployed across the Island 51 percent were men and about 80 percent were black.The Government-run Hustle Truck has also recently been severely scaled back because its $1 million funding was axed in this year’s Budget.The scheme, which used to have 60 people on three trucks, can now only afford to operate with about 20 workers on one truck.