Sir Alan Sugar visits 'real' apprentices in Birmingham

Mar 19 2009 by Roz Laws

SIR Alan Sugar was due in Birmingham today as he geared up for a new series of The Apprentice.

The multi-millionaire businessman was set to meet real apprentices, rather than the 15 hopefuls bidding for a £100,000-a year job with his companies.

Sir Alan was due at the International Convention Centre with cabinet ministers Ed Balls and John Denham to talk to young apprentices and their employers at a seminar.

Millions of viewers will be tuning to BBC1 on Wednesday as the fifth series of The Apprentice, dubbed “the ultimate job interview from hell”, kicks off.

Midlanders have been thin on the ground in previous series, with Ruth Badger and Jo Cameron among the more notable competitors.

But this time a third of the contestants hail from the region.