ONCE a professional rugby league player, Alan Curless is now involved with the education and training of young people across the two counties.

At Worcester Cathedral yesterday the chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council for Herefordshire and Worcestershire was awarded with an honorary master of the arts degree.

"I'm over the moon," said Mr Curless.

"It's very special.

" I was once a professional rugby league player and not interested in academic subjects at school.

"I represented Great Britain and played with Wigan. But then I could sense that wasn't going to be a lifetime career.

"I decided to do further studies and that's how it all started.

"It's never too late to change your career and do something interesting."

Mr Curless (seen above) took a professional qualification as a Chartered Director.

Over the past decade he has made a major contribution to the development of the workforce and the economy of the two counties.

He was first the chief executive of the Training and Enterprise Council and then the chief executive of the merged Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise.

He took up his new role when the Learning and Skills Council was formed last year.

The honorary degree is not his first honour, in 1997 he was recognised in the Queen's Honours Lists with an OBE.

"Over the past 12 years I've been responsible for helping set up new businesses and providing business support and training," said Mr Curless.

"I'm now responsible for post-16 education and training with a budget of £90m in the two counties. Two-thirds of that goes into FE colleges.

"The people who are either graduating, starting university or at college will have had some support from some of the organisations I've worked for.

"Our job is to find out what training needs to be done as well as quality assurances."