Ian was unemployed for eight years

Leaving school with a few standard grades a decade ago, he failed to find a job.

Given the lack of full-time work, he tried his hand at a number of training schemes and courses organised through the job centre.

But none of those led to a full-time job, leaving Ian back on the dole - and trapped within a vicious cycle.

He carried on applying for jobs, but his lack of employment experience led to a steam of rejection letters.

That was until he finally got the chance to come off benefits more than two years ago.

Company managers

First he was summoned to meet a couple of companies who had been passed his CV by the job centre.

And this time, there was hope.

Ian met the company managers, but was more attracted by Vitafoam than by a local abattoir.

The Paisley firm supplies foam for packaging, as well as for beds and furniture, and it was in the latter section that Ian got his start.

"I thought it would be great working in this kind of environment in the upholstery industry," he said.

The number of jobless is expected to fall below 1m

He was offered a job as a foam fabricator in January 1999 through subsidised employment under the New Deal.

"It was a great feeling to get back into work," he said.

"It was difficult at first, but once I picked up on it it was a breeze.

"I started to really enjoy it. It is a good place to work."

He admitted that finding a job had changed his outlook on life.

"I am just a lot happier working and having a job now," he said.

"I was totally losing hope.

'Gave me a chance'

"Every job I had gone for over the eight or nine years refused my applications.

"I think probably it was my lack of work in the past, and not having any references.

"Vitafoam gave me a chance of having a job and gave me work."

Works manager Iain Stewart had no complaints with his employee - and has since taken on a number of other New Dealers.

He was also pleased that the company could give people the chance to build up their skills by putting them through NVQ training.

"Most of the people we have had tend to be keen and want to work," he said.

Scotland still has higher unemployment than much of the rest of the United Kingdom - but Ian's story shows that the economic revival and the government's active labour market policies are, at least in one case, beginning to have an effect even on the long-term unemployed.