GRADUATES from New College Nottingham's Peter Jones Enterprise Academy have been recognised by the best in business.
Emma Whitley, 22, rubbed shoulders with the Dragons' Den star himself after scooping the level three Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the academy's national graduation ceremony.
It followed the success of her mobile hairdressing business, Kareese House.
She beat the competition from 500 other graduates from across the country, creating the perfect end to an academic year which also saw her awarded £1,500 by the Prince's Trust towards developing her business.
Meanwhile, Lauren Lonsdale, 16, joined other up-and-coming young business people at the New Entrepreneurs Foundation summer reception at the House of Lords. She won her invite after impressing the judges with plans for her online fashion store Get Changed.
She returned with a haul of business cards from the likes of Richard Chapple, commercial director of online retailer The Hut Group.
Emma and Lauren are among the first graduates from the academy – one of 28 across the country overseen by Mr Jones to support young people in entrepreneurship by working closely with local businesses to give students hands-on experience in the workplace.
Emma said: "I was just sat there in graduation ready to clap for the winner so when they said my name it just didn't register. It was surreal."