Investors in People could take off among Bradford Asian businesses - after a Bradford travel firm signed up to the scheme.

For the last six months Gazelle Travel has restructured working practices and training to meet the scheme's criteria.

But the firm, which specialises in flights to Pakistan and India, is only the second Asian-owned business in Bradford to join the initiative.

Co-owner Jamil Malik said: "We've signed up because we want people to be proud to work for us and to be recognised as a good employer.

"We've moved towards multi-skilling so staff have different challenges and stay fresh."

The company, which employs 15 staff at its office in North Parade, aims to achieve Investors in People status by January.

Ayub Ismail, managing director of the Mai Training Centre - Bradford's only other Asian business to take part in the scheme - said Investors in People had proved to be an effective framework around which to structure his business.

Mr Ismail, whose company in Little Horton Lane runs training courses for predominantly Asian firms, said the Asian business sector had been slow to develop staff investment.

"The Asian businesses sector is growing fast but human resource issues are a fairly low priority," he added.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.