IN June this year, among many advertisements of positions in the public sector, one that caught my eye and intrigued me was for a 'Rethinking Waste Officer.'

It was accompanied by the usual job description gobbledygook but didn't specify any qualifications as such. The salary was £21,000 to £22,000, plus with car allowance. Not bad for a rethinker without qualifications.

But what is this? In your newspaper there appears an almost full-page article (LET, September 30), concerning the young lady appointed to this highly-technical position.

How she will cope I am not sure as she is studying for a degree in -- wait for it -- waste management!

Her closing remark was: "I just want to tell people how easy it is." If so, why the degree?

Arising out of this and other examples is the scepticism towards Tony Blair's avowed intention that 50 per cent of appropriate school-leavers will go on to universities, etc.

There are too many so-called institutes of higher education in the UK. Entry to some can be gained with few qualifications and some degree courses range from the basically ridiculous to the esoteric.

Trade and Industry Minister Patricia Hewitt tried to play the egalitarian card with university entrants, etc., but many aspiring undergraduates would be far better off in every respect training to become skilled tradesmen/women.

R BRACEWELL (Mr), Ormerod Street, Worsthorne.