FORMER Apprentice star and social entrepreneur Melody Hossaini made a special visit to Hagley Catholic High School where she gave an inspirational talk to 165 year 11 pupils.

The visit was part of a Midlands wide tour of schools where Melody, pictured, encouraged pupils to learn new skills through extracurricular activities such as the National Citizen Service (NCS) programme.

NCS is a two to four week part residential programme open to 16-17 year olds during school holidays which aims to broaden horizons, bridge social divides and help youngsters to develop key skills for work and life.

Melody, CEO of InspirEngage, said: "When I speak to students, I’m always hearing about the catch 22 of not being able to get a job because of lack of experience, and not being able to get experience due to not being able to get a job.

"This is why it’s vital for young people to get involved with things when they’re time-rich. NCS offers a unique opportunity to add to your CV, learn vital skills and importantly, get out and do something different."

Headteacher Ted Hammond described the visit by the reality TV star as "engaging, inspirational and a wonderful opportunity for our year 11 students to be encouraged at this important time in their lives".

And he said he was sure her encouraging words would lead to more sign ups for the NCS programme and he added: "Hearing from someone as successful as Melody was a moment I’m sure our students will remember."