UNEMPLOYED tenants living on one of the borough's poorest housing estates have been sent on a special new training course to help them find work.

Fourteen residents from the Orchard Estate, in Woodford Green - which has one of Redbridge's highest jobless rates - were given help with CV writing, basic IT and confidence building as part of the Open Doors Employability Skills scheme.

The council-run course - which was being piloted for the first time in the borough - was open to all Redbridge Homes residents living on the estate.

The initiative has come as a much-needed boost to tenants in the area who were left shaken by the death of a woman in a lift accident in August and complained in the Guardian last month about the standard of the estate's CCTV security system.

Tenant, Joseph Koimburi, 49, who took part in the course, said: "It has been very constructive and educative, it's transformed me from a low person and given me the confidence to apply for jobs, write a professional CV and I'm now confident I can perform well in interviews."

A council spokeswoman said: "Tenants attended three days a week and were also offered help with CV writing and preparation and filling out application forms.

"They now have the opportunity to move to phase two of the project, called Routes to Work.

"The course is part of a three phase scheme funded by Redbridge Council and run by East Potential, to help those who have been out of work increase their confidence and motivation and learn skills to aid their employment search.

"The third phase, called Construct Your Career, will provided additional job search help."

The course is one of two pilot projects being funded by the council in Redbridge.

If successful, more schemes are due to be rolled out across the borough.