Pictured above: Young unemployed achievers in Coventry told - You're Hired! 

A group of young unemployed people in Coventry, who were inspired by hit BBC show The Apprentice, are celebrating after being told - You're hired!

Fifteen have either started work or have had job offers since joining Pertemps People Development Group's (PPDG) Work Focused Training in June. 

They also have another reason to celebrate - after successfully achieving their target of raising £1,000 for the Coventry Young Carers Project.

Site manager Tracey Vernon, based at PPDG's offices in Smithford Way, Coventry, said many of the group of young people attending the training initiative had exceeded all expectations and she was very proud of their achievements.

Their successful journey into employment began when they decided to set themselves a series of challenges to raise money for the carers charity. Inspired by Lord Alan Sugar and the young hopefuls taking part in a recent series of The Apprentice, the group believed they had what it takes to make a good profit which they would donate to the charity.

They also believed the experience would provide them with the edge when applying for jobs at local companies and hoped they would hear Lord Sugar's famous catchphrase - You're hired! 

They established a website, staged a car boot sale, made cakes that they sold on a stall, and sold plants to local gardeners. PPDG provided advice and support to help them raise the funds.

Tracey said: "I'm so proud of all of them. Their achievements are fantastic and they have exceeded my expectations and their own. The fundraising activities gave them a confidence boost. They were innovative, creative, they worked as a team and they developed a business plan. We showed faith in them and they achieved more than they set out to do.

"Eight of the group have now got jobs and are doing well, while a further seven have been offered employment and are waiting to get the go ahead to start soon."

The initiative marked the start of a blossoming relationship with the Coventry Young Carers Project. Having raised £1,000 for the charity, the Work Focused Training group now plans to help refurbish its premises at the Methodist Central Hall. Young people will take part in decorating, fitting a new kitchen, laying flooring and other activities which will help them learn new skills.

Tracey added: "These sort of activities help them when they apply for jobs because they can demonstrate to potential employers that they are willing to work hard to achieve, and that they have developed new skills that may help them in their new job."

PPDG was last year awarded the £8.3 million Work Focused Training contract to provide vocational training opportunities and employability skills to 18 to 24-year-olds.

The move is part of the Backing Young Britain campaign, in partnership with the Future Jobs Fund and the Community Taskforce, which encourages organisations to provide young people with the opportunities they need to get into work. PPDG is delivering the contract from its sites in Birmingham and Solihull, West Bromwich and the Black Country, Coventry and Warwickshire, the Marches and Staffordshire.

PPDG is providing vocational training linked to the needs of the local labour market, progressing young people towards the achievement of full Level 2 or 3 vocational qualifications that can be continued in work or around work if required.

The company works in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and other organisations, to deliver employment and training initiatives including Flexible New Deal, Lone Parent mentoring, and Learndirect training programmes. More than 100,000 job seekers have been helped into sustained employment by the company since the projects began.  It has trained 130,000 people in vocational skills, and over 175,000 people have benefitted from professional information, advice and guidance services.