Dragons’ Den star Shaf Rasul is to show two budding entrepreneurs how to get to the top in business.

Fraser McLean, 24, from Finnieston, Glasgow, and William Wallace, 25, from Johnstone, Renfrewshire, have been handpicked as one-year apprentices by the business guru to be shaped and mentored in the ways of success.

They will now be set to work within the Edinburgh-based entrepreneur’s expanding business portfolio, which includes the distribution of storage media, as well as property, internet technology and electronic commerce.

Mr McLean said: “I recently graduated with a masters degree in wireless communication technologies and had been applying for graduate schemes with multi-national electronics businesses.

“I am really proud to have secured one of the positions with Mr Rasul and look forward to getting started and learning more about how business works.”

Mr McLean has always had ambitions to be his own boss and said: “I wanted to establish my own media business, but didn’t have any access to funding or the right level of advice and support required to establish my own start-up.”

Mr Wallace, a former Johnstone High pupil, said: “It’s incredible. A month ago I was working in a laboratory testing bacteria, now I am set to begin an apprenticeship with one the country’s most dynamic and successful businessmen.

“When I was younger I was always devising money making schemes and used to sell sports cards to my school friends.”

Mr Rasul, who stars in the BBC online version of the hit TV business show, launched the apprentice initiative in response to UK Government figures that show youth unemployment hit one million at the end of last year.

He said: “Young people have been hit harder than any other age group during the recession and we want to give young people their first step on to the career ladder.

“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.”