SIR – I recently decided to have my hair and beard cut.

So what, I hear you say.

However, this as anyone who knows me, is most unusual. What is usual is me searching out the best value – not neccesarily cheap but value.

I finished up going to Fountains – Worcester College of Technology’s training facility in Barbourne. I was astounded at the quality of the facility and the standard of training for real employment skills.

Also extremely impressive were the young people I met.

They were obviously very committed and understanding that work skills were as important, if not more, than academic qualifications.

I would also like to highly commend the young gent who cut my hair and beard – Josh from Wychbold.

He was highly prfessional, with high expectations of himself and a pride in what he was doing.

These are skills and traits that I was cynically starting to doubt the young possessed.

I believe that with young people such as those I saw at Fountains we are once again going to have a country to be proud of – and finances to pay my pension.

RICHARD BIRD
Worcester