Sir Alan Sugar looking for North East future leaders

Jun 10 2009 by Laura Caroe, The Journal

IT was a case of ‘You’re hired’ rather than ‘You’re fired’ as the Government’s Enterprise Tsar visited the region.

Sir Alan Sugar – star of television programme The Apprentice – is the man spearheading an apprentice drive.

The self-made millionaire is throwing his weight behind an £11m Government campaign to help employers train up to 3,000 new skilled workers for the future and encourage more young people to take up apprenticeships.

And the founder of Amstrad met apprentices, employers and training providers at the Federation Brewery, in Dunston, Gateshead to pass on his skills as a business tycoon.

Sir Alan, who is set to take a seat in the House of Lords following Gordon Brown’s reshuffle last week, said: “Apprenticeships are so important because it is the way business ends up getting its core employees. Businesses have to invest in young people rather than take the fast track route of taking fully qualified people. They need their own home-grown staff.

“ I have just been talking to some fantastic examples here in the North East. They are prime examples of being trained by the employer and taking advantage of the learning centres or colleges. For the employer, apprenticeships are their way of growing their own long term and loyal employees.

“These young people are different to the apprentices on my television series. That deals with people who allegedly have already achieved their experience.

“Apprenticeships are all about getting up and doing something, they become people who will make things happen. Apprentices are actually not cheap as they are expensive as the employer needs to invest their time in growing these people.

“Even in difficult times you still have to invest and especially in young people.”