The grants issued by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) are aimed at 16 to 19-year-olds from low income families to encourage them to stay in education and gain the skills they need to get jobs.

Across West Yorkshire 25,000 are now benefiting from the scheme, including 7,547 in Leeds alone.

One of those is 16-year-old Luke Rushton of Tingley who was excluded from school at 15.

Weekly payments of £30 offered by the EMA lured him back into study and he is now taking his adult literacy and numeracy qualifications at the IGEN Future Pathways centre in Leeds, West Yorkshire.

Luke said: “The EMA really helps. I live the furthest away from my study centre in my class, so bus fares are quite a big issue for me.

“But it also helps me with my attendance. When I was at school, good attendance was always quite hard to maintain, but the EMA helps me with that, as I have to justify my attendance to get my payment.

“I have received my English level one certificate and eventually want to go on to study computer programming at Leeds College of Technology.”

Mike Lowe, Director of Area for the LSC in West Yorkshire, said: “West Yorkshire currently has the largest uptake of EMA with over 25,000 students benefiting from the scheme at what is an important time in their lives.

“These extra years of education enable students to study vocational courses which will hopefully get them into jobs in a career of their choice, and give them a relevant skill set to do that with.

“The EMA provides the financial help many students need to do this.

“Improving the qualifications of young people in West Yorkshire can only be a positive move for the future of our employees and employers.”