Financial services recruiter Poolia gave more than 50 students from nine schools from North London their first taste of the workplace with a Dragons’ Den style competition.

The students had to design a piece of office furniture for Poolia, while taking into consideration its effects on the environment, then present then idea to a panel of judges from The Design House, The Environment Council, The BBC and Poolia.

Students from each team took on roles as designers, sales directors, finance directors, marketing directors and researchers.

Lynda Pickess, managing director of Poolia, says: “We want to encourage the future working men and women of tomorrow to consider skills they may not even be aware they have, and teach them that obtaining a career in business is not unattainable and is in fact something they can aspire to. The results were surprising and outstanding and I think all of us have taken something great from the experience.”

The eventual winners were students from Brent-based Preston Manor High School (pictured).

Poolia says it intends to continue this project in the future, and expand across areas where Poolia has regional offices, giving many more students opportunities that would not normally be accessible to them.