More than 430 six-month job placements are set to be created by the 12 Scottish Premier League (SPL) clubs under a new £2.8m scheme aimed at the long term unemployed.

The SPL Working Futures programme has been established to help young people find employment and will receive funding through the Department for Work and Pensions' Future Jobs Fund. Each of the 12 clubs will have the chance to take on 36 new workers as community coaches or estates staff on a six-month basis between May 2010 and September 2011. Job centres will handle applications.

SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: "These are testing economic times for everyone but this is a great example of how our clubs can play their part in society to help make things better. "This scheme will give more than 400 people the chance to get back into the work force and back on track."

Scotland secretary Jim Murphy added: "The new workers will walk through the front doors of Scotland's most famous football stadiums to get to their work each day and could rub shoulders with their football idols."