Dragons' Den boss believes William is the business
Wednesday 24th February 2010
BRAVEHEART William Wallace is about to step into the dragons den and aim for a high-flying business career.
William, 25, has been named as one of multi-millionaire entrepreneur Shaf Rasuls new apprentices, a position that will see him mentored by one of Scotlands biggest business leaders.
Rasul features in an online version of the BBCs Dragons Den alongside host Dominic Byrne, of the Chris Moyles Radio 1 Breakfast Show.
Ex-lab worker William, who is a former pupil of Johnstone High, will get to work on the Edinburgh-based entrepreneurs expanding business portfolio, which includes the distribution of storage media as well as property, internet technology and e-commerce.
He said: Its incredible. Just a month ago I was working in a laboratory testing bacteria and now I am about to begin a one-year apprenticeship with one of the countrys most dynamic and successful businessmen.
And William, who lives in the Milliken Park area of Johnstone with his parents William and Christina and younger sister Ashley, revealed hes always had a bit of entrepreneurial flair.
When I was younger I was always devising money-making schemes and used to sell sports cards to my school friends, he said.
Setting up my own business has always been an ambition of mine and I have lost count of the number of books I have read on establishing a successful start-up business.
However, there is only so much you can learn from a self-help book and Im now looking forward to getting practical hands-on experience on how to run a business.
It was incredible being exposed to Shaf and his senior management throughout the selection process and I fully believe that this one-year apprenticeship will give me all the tools and experience to go out there and be a success in my own right.
Rasul who launched the apprentice initiative in response to recent government figures which show that youth unemployment hit one million at the end of last year said he wanted to welcome William into his business and congratulate him on securing a place.
He added: Young people have been hit harder than any other age group during the recession and we launched this search to give four young people their first step on to the career ladder.
Part of the strategy will also be to mould energetic entrepreneurs who will have the ability and business acumen to go away and develop world-class businesses that will boost the Scottish economy.
Throughout the search, we have focused on engaging with bright, driven people who could join our team and play a key role in the development of our business portfolio.
The standard of candidate has been incredible and I was truly inspired by the level of dynamism and enthusiasm on display throughout the selection process.
However, William raised his level when it really mattered and demonstrated the entrepreneurial flair, self-motivation and leadership needed to be a success within my organisation.
Im now looking forward to setting him to work within my business and supporting and monitoring his development throughout his 12-month apprenticeship programme.