Talk Business

APPRENTICE UPDATE
TALK SUCCESS
contestants, and all too often
the personalities of the show
get too much attention.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING
WITH ALAN SUGAR?
My mum is Jamaican and
extremely strict – so I didn’t
find Alan Sugar intimidating.
He was a fantastic taskmaster
– he encouraged and motivated
me. He put me in a company,
and I had to launch an LTD into
a PLC, I spoke with the decision
makers at Harrods, and I set up
national call centres.
After the first year my contract
was extended – it was a great
experience for both me and Alan.
DO YOU STILL SPEAK TO ALAN?
Yes, me and Alan still speak on
the phone, we talk a lot about
what I do now supporting
young people. Last week I
spoke to him and followed it
up with a tweet. We spoke
about recent shenanigans.
We have a good relationship.
I have huge respect for him –
he’s a guy from Hackney that
floated a company on the stock
market that was once bigger
than Microsoft.
WHY DID YOU LEAVE TO SET
UP YOUR OWN COMPANY?
An apprenticeship is about
learning a trade or profession
– and most apprentices go on
to do great things. It was time
for me to move on. It was a
natural progression to start
my own project and replicate
what I’d learnt.
The legacy of the show is
manifested in the apprentice’s
reactions – I’m now working
with global brands.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH
THE BRIGHT IDEAS TRUST?
A lot of people came to me
and asked; “How can I do
what you’re doing?” They
concentrated on the TV part,
but it’s very tough to get on the
show – they don’t have to go
down that route.
I wanted to create a platform
that supported people to reach
their potential, and solve
problems, like the lack of access
to capital and mentors. There
are not many organisations out
there giving start-up capital
to young people – we are very
proud of what we do. The first
three companies we invested in
are still going today.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO
MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKING?
When we pitched to get our
partners on board, I had to do a
lot of speaking to stakeholders.
I harnessed the craft, engaged
audiences and was asked to
speak to teams in hotel groups,
and no one threw tomatoes!
I was then asked to speak at a
Conservative party conference
– it grew organically.
HOW IMPORTANT ARE
APPRENTICESHIPS TODAY?
Incredibly important – there
are a growing number of
unemployed young people and
graduates that can’t find jobs.
Apprenticeships are no
longer just for trade jobs like
plumbers – they can be used in
any industry, such as finance,
media and technology.
As London’s ambassador
for training and enterprise
appointed by Mayor of
London, Boris Johnson, I
have been focusing on getting
more young people into
apprenticeships. This target
was 60,000, which we smashed
by an extra 40,000, so now our
target is 250,000.
Me and Alan
still speak on
the phone,
we talk a lot
about what
I do now
supporting
young people
As the head of client
services for emerging talent
at recruitment process
outsourcing provider, Alexander
Mann Solutions, we have put
thousands of unemployed young
people in apprenticeships.
WE’VE SEEN YOU TWEETING
CHARLIE MULLINS. WHAT
DO YOU THINK ABOUT HIS
APPRENTICE BILL [FEATURED
ON PAGE 73]?
It’s a great idea – we need to raise
more awareness about the need
for apprenticeships. It’s about
growing our workforce, helping
young people and businesses.
Contact: tim-campbell.co.uk
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