Bradford has a long and proud heritage of manufacturing industry, and that was built on school leavers taking up apprenticeships and forging careers straight from leaving school.

So it is sad to see that a new report suggests that many parents and a significant number of teachers are discouraging young people from taking the vocational route into the workplace.

Instead, there is an expectation that their children are much better off going on to a more academic route of further education at 16.

In Yorkshire and Humberside, the survey by educational charity The Edge Foundation shows that just 19 per cent of parents believe a vocational course is worthwhile, and many of those actively discourage their children from getting involved in training or apprenticeships.

That is a real shame, and the suggestion they will be more successful if they take the more academic path plainly isn’t true.

There are some first rate opportunities in manufacturing and service sectors for school leavers prepared to train on the job, and it is not realistic to expect every child will thrive in further and higher education academically.

Schools and parents must be more open to the wide range of options their children and students face, and most importantly, they must encourage them to take the path that is best for them.

The high level of parental stigma in this region that seems to be attached to vocational training is surprising, and it is time this old fashioned attitude was put to bed.

And if Bradford is to attain the status of Producer City which the Council is aiming towards, it is vital that those with the right aptitude for vocational training are given the opportunity to thrive in these roles rather than simply being forced into higher education because it is what was expected of them.