The hustle truck, Government's initiative to get the unemployed back to work, is to branch out by offering specialist painting and landscaping services beginning next week.

Labour Minister David Burch said they would be used extensively for Bermuda Housing Corporation work.

And he said the hustle truck programme had also developed a housekeeping branch consisting of women who cleaned BHC properties.

Companies which have a working relationship with the BHC are also being urged to consider hustle truck workers when vacancies arise.

The hustle truck programme began a year ago by offering work to ten people but quickly expanded to 150 people. Now 250 people are on board with 65 people already graduating to full-time employment.

Sen. Burch said the hustle truck programme was a hook to get those "who didn't trust anybody" back into the mainstream.

Once in the scheme, workers could be channeled to the National Training Board for further help.

He said Government was talking to Corrections to use a version of the hustle truck to help inmates before they are released from prison to get them used to going to work on time everyday and taking orders from a boss.