STEP aside Sir Alan Sugar, Derby City Council chief executive Ray Cowlishaw is starting his own version of The Apprentice.

Mr Cowlishaw has vowed to take six teenagers, who are not in education, employment or training, and give them the chance to bag an apprenticeship at the council.

They will be put through a series of challenges, just like in the hit BBC TV show, before being handed an interview – although they will not get a six-figure salary like Sir Alan's latest apprentice, Lee McQueen.

The idea was among the first pledges to be made as part of Derby City Partnership's Be Inspiring 2012 Challenge, which was launched yesterday at the Westfield shopping centre.

Mr Cowlishaw said: “This is not The Apprentice, where we are going to fire people. It's more along the lines of 'you're hired'. We are doing this to help people who are in a difficult place, for whatever reason.

“We will take half a dozen 'contestants' from Connexions Derbyshire, with the idea that we will put them through three or four challenges, then give them an interview and hopefully get them an apprenticeship.

“We hope that the contestants will gain something from the challenges, just like in the TV show, and they will improve week on week.

“The very minimum we hope is that some of the people get a trial, then hopefully progress through to a full apprenticeship.”

The finer details of the pledge will be decided within weeks, and the hopefuls chosen to participate in the challenges – which will take place over a three-month period – to be chosen in the autumn.

While the challenges are still to be decided, Mr Cowlishaw used the example of a computer test to assess the IT skills of participants as one possibility.

The council offers a raft of apprenticeships, from building and construction through to office work and more “professional” opportunities.

Hugh Hastie, chief executive of Connexions, said: “A lot of young people have multiple barriers in their lives. We need to work together to help remove those barriers.”

Mr Hastie also made a pledge on behalf of Connexions, which gives career guidance to youngsters, to reduce the number of 16-to-18-year-olds not in education, employment or training by a further 150 by 2012.

The service has already slashed the number of Derby teenagers out of work or education by 450 since 2002. There are currently 600 16-to-18-year-olds in that position in the city.

Mr Hastie said: “All of the research shows that the biggest single thing you can do to improve people's lives is to get them in education, employment or training from an early age. They are less likely to be involved in offending or substance misuse and have a better chance of living longer, with a better quality of life.”

Pledges for Derby City Partnership's Be Inspiring 2012 Challenge can be made at www.derbycitypartnership.co. uk, by calling Derby 256915, or e-mailing theresa @derbycity partnership.co.uk.