The ambitious and imaginative Get Bradford Working scheme launched by the Council today is a welcome move to tackle the blight of unemployment in the district.

The £7.7m project has been given further impetus by the devastating news yesterday of the impending move by Thomas Cook out of the city with the loss of 468 jobs.

And the four-pronged programme will do more than simply put a sticking plaster over the problem by tackling the root causes of youth unemployment in particular.

As well as creating hundreds of jobs, there are also plans to set up an industrial centres of excellence scheme to train 14 to 19-year-olds in workplace skills, and an apprenticeship training agency to work with the private sector to create 400 new apprenticeships.

The moves to tackle youth unemployment are particularly welcome; young people who take part in these schemes will help set up a workforce in the district with the skills necessary to drive our economy forward when the country finally comes out of recession.

When the T&A-backed 100 Apprenticeships in 100 Days campaign came to an end last month, with 150 places having been created, we called on the new Council leader to ensure that its success was now built on.

Coun Dave Green and all those involved in Get Bradford Working appear to have more than stepped up to the plate with this bold and visionary scheme.

If it is a success, it will not only help a lot of people to transform their lives, it will hopefully create a highly-trained talent pool that will put this district in a very strong position to cope with the changing economic climate we are likely to see over the next few years.