Moscow, May 7 (IANS) Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proposed setting up a new agency to support young professionals and social welfare projects.

The agency would focus on three areas: new business - organising start-ups and overseeing how promising innovation companies adapt to the market, second, efforts to promote young professionals in business and social spheres, and third, social welfare projects such as education, health care and culture, RIA Novosti reported.

"When I first analysed everything we've done so far and as I was preparing for this meeting, an idea came to my head and I want to formulate it now - I have a proposal to set up an agency for strategic initiatives to promote new projects, which would be affiliated to the prime minister," Putin said at a meeting of the ruling United Russia party.

The prime minister said Russia lacked a "spring board" for young and energetic people to move up the career ladder.

He called for involving young specialists in the new agency's work, and said he had heard many interesting ideas from younger people about business management.

Putin said he would put in charge one of his aides with overseeing the agency and the head of the new structure would later be elected.