APPRENTICE star Adam Corbally says he would have no hesitation in employing Bolton’s real-life apprentices.

Adam was in town to celebrate a successful National Apprenticeship Week with Bolton College’s award-winning apprentices, who are now running their own businesses and carving out a successful career and helping to shape it for the future for the next generation of candidates.

He said: “They have got the qualifications, the experience and the life skills and those are the kinds of skills employers are looking for.

“They are all an inspiration to others to see them taking their ideas out there and making it happen.

“They started as apprentices and some are running their own businesses. It was a honour to be sitting with them.”

Now the successful apprentices are taking on the next generation of students at Bolton College, in a range of careers, from marketing to hair dressing.

Principal Marie Gilluley said: “They are an absolute credit to us, I am so proud of what they have done and so proud that they came to Bolton College for their training and have done so well, they are great ambassadors.”

The young apprentices enjoyed a luncheon with Bolton’s MPs and shared their success stories, including Sarah Ratcliffe, from Westhoughton, who has opened Sarah’s Hair in Chorley Old Road.

She started making money through braiding hair while still at school.

The 24-year-old said: “I always knew I wanted to run my own business, but didn’t think it would be so soon. I have worked hard for it, and Bolton College gave me all round help and I never stopped striving for more.”

Emma Jepson, from Horwich, is an assistant manager at Seymour Road Nursery.

She decided to go back to learning after starting work at the nursery.

Now she is involved in child care policy in Bolton and has not ruled out doing a degree.

Emma, like Sarah, now takes on Bolton College’s apprentices.

The 24-year-old said: “Young people deserve the opportunity to show what they are capable of. Staff at Bolton College were truly inspirational, and always taught us if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well and not to have a half-hearted attitude.”

Stephanie Thompson, aged 20, from Westhoughton, decided to embark on an apprenticeship rather than go to university and is now working in marketing at Bolton College.

Ashley Lomas, aged 20, from The Haulgh, is working at The Archers Service Centre, and Qurban Ali Alahdad Zadeh, aged 25, from Bolton, is with Burnett's MOT & Service Centre.