The big question... Does The Apprentice show young people what it's like in the world of work?

Love it or hate it, the show is incredibly popular but how real to life is it?

This week we have been asking local business people if The Apprentice is a good guide to young people wanting to get in to the world of work.

Peter O’Toole, chief executive officer, Retail Merchandising Services, Langstone

I believe Lord Sugar has become stage struck and too focused on the cameras. The original idea of the show certainly reflected a more realistic view of the business world, but it now couldn’t be further from real life. The Apprentice is meant to harness entrepreneurship and business acumen – but now it seems the producers just want characters for TV. It’s become more like EastEnders! If you compared it to the brilliant work from Sir Terry Matthews, it’s nothing like the real world. Sir Terry provides young graduates here in Wales with positions of responsibility in start-up businesses - and harnesses their potential as they grow. This is a more realistic account of business in today’s economic climate. Having said that, Lord Sugar still knows what makes a true entrepreneur, but perhaps the programme needs to go back to its original roots.

Liz Maher, Centurion VAT, Langstone

It gives a bit of a reality check I suppose for young people, showing that you don’t just walk into success, and that to be successful you do have to 'fight your corner'. It is, of course, an artificial environment and tensions are manufactured, so I would hate to think that children looking at it think that is truly representative of the world of work. When young people do get involved with business whether through work placements or through a Young Enterprise programme, I think they quickly realise that good communication skills, strong teamwork and strategic thinking delivers greater success for the business as a whole. Ultimately if ‘The Apprentice’ encourages more young people to consider starting their own businesses I think it has a value - just don’t ask me to watch it!

James Norvill, GD Environmental, Newport

New businesses often think that finding customers or retaining them is the most difficult part of starting up, but if you have faith in your product or service this is easy. The hard part is actually behind the scenes in the day to day running of ensuring you comply with industry legislation, employment law, EU and GB rules and crucially finding the right team to support you and stay with you during growth.

Dan Langford, group marketing director, Acorn, Newport

I would urge people working towards a career in business to take little notice of most of what they see acted out in The Apprentice. They should simply take it with a pinch of salt – it is an entertainment programme first and foremost. Yes, there are some key pointers that everyone should be aware of such as emphasis on profitability, effective teamwork and delegation, and the importance of leadership and good planning. But the attitudes of nearly everyone involved bears no reflection of what business life is like or how people should behave in a productive working environment. Clearly the casting and representation of the budding entrepreneurs is designed to make them appear power-hungry, aggressive and frankly, ignorant - which completely fails to appreciate the wider strategic context, the value of others around you and reputation management. Businesses need people, successful business get the best out of them. One other hugely important factor also missed in the programme is the use of technology and communications – trapesing around London with an old phone book is simply laughable and a ridiculous waste of time – the programme needs to reflecting modern business life much more directly if it’s going to become anything more meaningful than a corporate version of Big Brother. I never miss an episode!

Sarah Price, marketing officer, HardingEvans Solicitors, Newport

The Apprentice is entertaining TV but doesn’t provide young people with a realistic impression of the real business world. The programme encourages a ‘me’ culture where candidates are often more concerned with their own performance rather than what the group as a whole can achieve. When results don’t go their way, candidates often blame each other. This flies in the face of the culture we have at HardingEvans which is supportive and very much based on a team ethic. Any business that based its future on employees that behaved like an Apprentice candidate would be destined for failure. You can’t build a successful business based on a me/blame culture. I think The Apprentice is now merely focused on providing entertainment rather than educating young people on developing their business skills.

Gerald Davies, executive chairman, Kymin, Newport

I haven’t watched the programme for some time but if Sir Alan Sugar behaved, as an employer, as he does in the Apprentice, he would spend most of his time in the Employment Tribunals. This expression “You’re fired” goes back to pre-war days, when such behaviour was tolerated. As to opportunities for young people, the normal course is for them to seek work experience, as much to see whether their original idea for a career meets their expectations. I recently arranged for the daughter of one of our clients to do some work experience with a local firm of solicitors. It was a great success. We at Kymin usually have several youngsters with us during the summer holidays. We should all do whatever we can to help young people start their careers.

Peter Lewis, managing director Industrial Automated Controls Ltd, Newport

The Apprentice is a TV show – pure fantasy. Any resemblance with reality is entirely coincidental. I have watched it once, and then I had to shut it off before the end. Frankly I find it less than entertaining. Anyone who gets enjoyment from watching young people make complete fools of themselves in a totally artificial environment is surely living in another world to mine. Our apprentices work for four years under extremely difficult trading conditions to try and make a future for themselves. They are real people and have real issues – not the show ponies on the TV. Our kids deserve to succeed because they are hardworking and have a grip on reality. I find them far more entertaining than The Apprentice because they give me and the rest of our team, real satisfaction in knowing that we have contributed to bringing on people who will make a real contribution to society.

Noel Williams, Partner at Kilsby & Williams, Newport

I used to watch The Apprentice, but find it’s an appalling series as it gives completely the wrong view of modern businesses. It gives a dated impression and shows the old-fashioned, aggressive barrow boy mentality rather than giving any insight into the way great businesses now run, based on good business and community ethics. This is combined with great teamwork and open lines of communication, which isn’t shown on the programme. I appreciate that these good businesses which are run seamlessly, would provide boring television material but The Apprentice provides a damaging impression to new employees of how real businesses are run and I cannot wait to see it binned.

Lewis Lewis, of Lewis and Lewis Chartered Quantity Surveyors, Newport

If there’s one show I always eagerly await it is The Apprentice. Lord Sugar has returned with another 20 hopefuls and according to the recent press the launch of the show it is going to be the best series yet! Luckily, Nick Hewer is back, despite him now being the main anchor of Channel 4’s long running and established game show that is Countdown. Karren Brady is also back and since her arrival to the show a couple of years ago we can now deem her to be the female face of the programme after Margaret’s departure to focus on studies. The series in an excellent insight into the world of business and is brilliant for some jaw-dropping moments with the confidence that some of these contestants have, some deluded and some spot on. Does the show give an accurate picture of the business world to youngsters? I am not sure that it does 100 per cent. However we all learn and evolve by doing and making mistakes, so through this sort of TV, it does give young people an insight in to the world of work and the excitement and possibility of running a business. I think a lot of the time TV shows like this do not portray the complete accuracy of any environment especially in this case the business world which is a complicated one. However they do inspire young people to develop aptitudes and attitudes which they cannot learn from a textbook or traditional academic curriculum and to get spark, passion and excitement about what the world of work or indeed being an entrepreneur is all about. Whether it be a charade or otherwise, it is unquestionably addictive viewing and pretty much television at its best. I for one shall become overly obsessed with it over the next few weeks!