Inspiring our future workforce

On Friday 30th September 2022, learners were lucky to be visited by local entrepreneur Ammar Mirza CBE. Ammar talked very openly and honestly about his personal journey to success. Ammar faced many personal challenges in early life. By his own admission he hadn’t been trying his best at school. At around the age of 14 a man in suit had visited his school to talk about work and his experiences (a bit like what Ammar was doing today). The greatest thing he took from that experience was being told to ‘stick in at maths and English, you need it for everything’. Ammar said that is exactly what he did and he took to wearing a suit. He advised our learners that nowadays you also need to learn digital skills

Ammar discussed how good it is to work with others. He told learners that if you are going to do something give it your best. He spoke honestly how it wouldn’t always be easy but to ‘commit, don’t give up and keep going! It is what you say to yourself that reinforces what you do’

Ammar was inspirational and spoke passionately prompting many questions from learners such as:

‘What if you don’t know what you want to do?” his response was to “pick something close to your heart or ruled by your head, ideally both and choose something that will give you a career’

Another learner asked how they could set up their own business like Ammar? He advised to ‘Get the advice, the diploma and skills you will learn here, everyone has an opinion there is no lack of opinions in this world. Seek out the best and keep it simple. Budgeting is key – you need your maths: what will your charge? What do you need to pay out? You can’t do that if you don’t have maths. Then you need invoicing, so English skills. You need the key core skills!’

Ammar concluded by giving learners some final advice:

Desire – do something and have a goal. The most important thing I was told is have a goal. Without a goal you can’t score! Identify something, write it down. The best way to do this is a 5 and 10 year plan

Plan – Make a plan then stick to it, no matter what

Get out your comfort zone

Just do the best you can, whatever you put in you will get out of it

Be positive and above all else do something you love!!!