Too often we have to carry stories about young people whose lives have gone wrong for various reasons and who have gone on to become a problem to society. So it's a real pleasure today to be able to report the very opposite: the case of a group of young men whose futures are bright despite none of them gaining any qualifications at school or finding a job when they left.

All credit to the eight "graduates" of the successful motor-mechanics' training scheme promoted by Manningham businessman Tariq Mahmood on their achievement. It was an inspired idea of Mr Mahmood's to secure regeneration cash three years ago to set up the project and then to persuade local firms to pay the young men during the second and third years of their training, once they had shown that they were committed to the work.

With additional input from the Bradford Youth Development Partnership with personal development and team work, this project has shown just what can be achieved given the right motivation and guidance. The eight are now in permanent jobs with established companies and hopefully will go on to be role models for others of their generation.

The success of the scheme points the way for vocational training for youngsters who, like these, stand to gain little from formal academic education. If the right judgement is made in the first place about their characters, and they are given on-the-job training in work that interests them and helped to broaden their vision of the world, their future can be bright.