SIR Alan Sugar's search for an apprentice may be over for another year, but young people in Waltham Forest can put their business skills to the test in a three-week competition that mirrors the popular BBC show.

Two teams of 10 people aged 12 to 21 years will from Monday be travelling around Waltham Forest completing business tasks.

Each day a candidate will be fired and the local winner will go through to a grand final in a central London on August 21.

The overall winner will land a job as a London youth advisor, as well as a laptop computer.

Unlike the BBC show, fired candidates can still stay and help the other teams, although they won't be able to win the competition.

And instead of facing the wrath of Sir Alan, candidates will have to appear in front of One Stop Shop manager Barrie, who organisers say is “much nicer”.

The Leytonstone Youth Cafe Community Initiative, which runs a cafe for young people in High Road, is helping to organise the east London section of the event.

Co-ordinator Amy Willshire said: “The project is about teaching young people new skills and about them having fun.

“A lot of young people also don't often travel to different parts of the borough, and this will encourage them to do that.”

The Young Apprentice runs from 10am to 5pm each day and begins at the One Stop Shop, a business which provides information about council services, in Leytonstone High Road.

There are still places available, email thejuniorapprentice@hotmail.com or 07807 222 010.