SIR – At QED-UK, we welcome that the Council is creating more than 1,000 jobs and apprenticeships for our city, which is much-needed and long-awaited good news (T&A, June 15).

Unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, is the biggest black cloud that hangs over the future of Bradford. Job creation funds, encouraging education and employability, and nurturing entrepreneurial instincts can only be a good thing for our district.

The news of the job creation schemes comes at the same time as that of Thomas Cook suffering a major blow to its Bradford workforce and so is much-needed positive news.

It’s important we do not become complacent about job creation, and keep putting energy and resources into turning around some of the worst youth unemployment statistics in the country.

We really welcome the scheme, especially the ‘bridge to work’ that can help break the vicious cycle of long-term unemployment, and the focus on removing barriers to work as a result of discrimination of any sort.

This could be a huge boost to many people across our district. Despite the general cynicism among readers around the handling of Bradford’s city centre make-over after years of living with a building site, this is the kind of investment that has been long overdue.

Mohammed Ali OBE, Founder & Chief Executive, QED, Manningham Lane, Bradford