You're hired

The winner of the first series of hit BBC show 'The Apprentice' shared top business tips with Hackney students.

Tim Campbell spoke to 200 young people from seven borough schools about the importance of mentors in his life.

Tim, who went on to carve out a successful career as a social entrepreneur and motivational speaker after winning a £100,000 a year job with Lord Sugar, also encouraged the students to make contacts and keep networking. He said: "Mentoring is a fabulous opportunity for young people and it was great to see so many potential future entrepreneurs at the event today."

The 16 June event at St John-at-Hackney Church, E5, was the finale of the Hackney Schools' Mentoring Programme (HSMP), a project that sees businesspeople from the City of London volunteer their time to offer advice to Year 10 pupils over the course of an academic year.

The scheme offers students support with key skills like CV writing and interview techniques, as well as organising social events such as ice-skating.

Set up in 1996 by the East London Business Alliance (ELBA), the programme aims to help Hackney young people get ready for the world of work, increase their self-confidence, improve academic performance and raise aspirations.

Mentoring takes place after school, with mentors receiving training, followed by support sessions, advice and feedback from HSMP.