How Hayley hopes to impress Lord Sugar

Shropshire schoolgirl Hayley Forrester hopes to wow viewers and impress Lord Sugar as a Young Apprentice.

Three years ago, she hatched a plan to start selling organic eggs from her father's farm.

Now a schoolgirl from Shropshire is set to show off her business acumen in front of millions of TV viewers on the Young Apprentice.

Hayley Forrester, 17, from Northwood, near Wem, beat thousands of other hopefuls to be named as one of 12 wannabes out to impress business guru Lord Sugar in the BBC One show.

The Shrewsbury High School pupil impressed producers by revealing that she already has her own business – selling organic eggs from hens on her father's farm.

Hayley said her friends and family are looking forward to watching the show, which starts on Monday at 9pm on BBC1.

"My friends were shocked when I first told them, but have been really supportive with it. They definitely encouraged me, particularly my family," she said. "I have been doing the egg business for about three years. I think it did help with getting a place on the show. The business is really small scale, but they were looking for personality, ambition and drive."

She said it had taken plenty of effort to get on the show, which has already been partly filmed.

"I applied about seven months ago. I don't know quite how many people applied but think it was tens of thousands," she said.

Hayley said that there is plenty of rivalry between the junior apprentices. "They are competitive – we all want to win. They are some good characters," she said.

Young entrepreneur

"We are competing for £25,000 to invest in a business, so you have an idea in your head and just want the support from Lord Sugar."

The young entrepreneur also works as a waitress at the Old Rectory Hotel in Wem. She said that her ultimate ambition is to get a job in the finance industry.

Marilyn Cass, head of Shrewsbury High School, said she was thrilled to hear the 17-year-old was appearing on the show. "We are absolutely delighted for Hayley, who is an outstanding student here at the school. "She is confident and self-assured and I know that she will acquit herself really well in Young Apprentice."

Lord Sugar knows a thing or two about teenage business success.The technology entrepreneur's successful career started when he left school at 16.

He's now hoping to inspire other young people to follow in his footsteps with this second series of Young Apprentice.

The first series last year – which was called Junior Apprentice – was a critical success, with 17-year-old computer expert Arjun Rajyagor crowned the winner after a nail-biting final.

The new series comes at a time when, because of the summer riots, young people are in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

Lord Sugar, who will be joined by on-screen advisors Nick Hewer and Karren Brady, says: "Regretfully, this summer we saw some events when some young people got a really bad image, but this series proves that there are great kids around too. It does a great service."

It's also timely considering how much university tuition fees are set to rocket. Neither Lord Sugar nor football executive Brady went to university (Hewer went to University College in Dublin) and Lord Sugar sees no reason why teenagers can't start up their own businesses after leaving school.

He says: "We want to show you can start something from nothing. We want to get away from this culture of going to university, then going to have a gap year for two years, then getting a job at some consultants or going on the dole.

"There's too much of what I call an expectancy culture. I'm afraid to say that the goody-goody benefits system has made it a bit too cushy for people and now it's time for a wake-up call. This programme proves that you can start to make some money and stand on your own two feet."

The first episode certainly shows this is possible. The hopefuls are split into two teams of boys and girls, then told to produce and sell their own ice cream.

Lord Sugar says he was impressed with how much profit both teams made in one day.

"It really is frightening how good they are. And you'll see, as the series rolls on, how they rival some contestants on the normal Apprentice in terms of their performance," he says.

The trio believe they're already seeing the effect the show has had on young people watching it. Hewer tells a story about being invited to a school to have lunch with eight prefects – and all eight of them had already started up their own businesses.

"It's extraordinary, and we're proud that more young people are beginning to think like that," he says.

Brady thinks the show has inspired other young people to believe a Lord Sugar lifestyle is within their reach: "It goes to show that with a bit of energy, a spark of an idea and absolute determination, you can start something from nothing. And when we talk to young people, that's what they say they take from the series," she adds.

Lord Sugar reveals that when he first conceived the show, he wanted to invite contestants as young as 14 along, but realised this would be unworkable.

He admits there are concerns about putting 16-year-olds on television, but adds: "These kids are very well looked after. We wouldn't have anything to do with exploiting youngsters.

"On occasion, some get a bit emotional, so we calm down, stop, give them time and move on."