The boss of Bradford University's pioneering cybernetics department has paid tribute to a group of young dot.com whizzkids who are the first graduates of a pilot course.

Fifteen teenagers received certificates from Dr John Baruch after completing a six-week course in website design in their school holidays.

The course is the first of its kind in Bradford and was set up after Dr Baruch approached the Newlands SRB regeneration board with the idea.

The SRB has provided £42,000 of funding while Dr Baruch's department at the university has provided undergraduate trainers to run the course.

The course took place at Havelock Training Ltd, based at Enterprise 5 at Idle. Dr Baruch said: "The university is keen to spin off the technical expertise we have, into the local community. We were the first place to offer courses aimed at small companies to develop e-commerce.

"This has been a pilot scheme and we are very pleased with it."

Tony Haldich, of the Havelock Training company, said a meeting was due to take place next week between the company, Newlands officials and the university to discuss plans for further courses.

Anne Watkin, 30, of Keighley, a Bradford University student, is one of the six tutors recruited to run the course.

"Doing this has been good work experience, and a way of putting something back," she said. "It's been fun and a joy to teach people who are obviously motivated - they have made it enjoyable. There has been a relaxed atmosphere here."

Jason Lukeman, 17, of Idle, a sixth former at Hanson School, found out about the course from a teacher. "I have done website stuff for a while but thanks to this course I can now structure and design websites better," he said.

"The course has been really helpful. The tutors are great and have a wide knowledge of things that are not part of the course, which has been really useful."

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