WHEN it comes to inspiring students all over York and North Yorkshire, greater role models are harder to find than Clive Gott, professional speaker and "enter-trainer".

Even though he left school with no qualifications and has had 34 jobs since then, - including being a butcher, welder, lorry driver, railway conductor and firefighter - he has demonstrated an iron will combined with an ability to find almost superhuman happiness.

The 48-year-old professional speaker and trainer from Tadcaster has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, done ironman competitions and last year took part in the world renowned Marathon Des Sables, a seven-day, 151-mile run across the Sahara Desert.

Now his talks to schools and colleges throughout the region, which are said to leave students spellbound, amused and enthralled, have led him to pitch for the Best Business And Education Link in The Press Business Awards 2007.

His ability to communicate self-belief has earned him respect among corporate organisations, including Marks & Spencer, but until recently its benefits were not fully appreciated by the education establishment.

But now Clive Gott Ltd has made a breakthrough at a number of schools, including Burnholme Community College and Manor School, both in York, as well as Raincliffe School, in Scarborough.

Clive sees a school career as "a little like taking driving lessons".

At schools "there are no requirements and, if any, provisions for teaching or even informing young people about how to deal with life in the real world of business, finance and employment. I fill that gap," he says. His role, as he sees it, is to "release the magnificence inside every student with no discrimination or exceptions".

Clive left the fire brigade in June, 1992 and journeyed through a number of careers before his public speaking enabled him to take an apprenticeship in sales and training delivery with the Dale Carnegie organisation.

He was talent spotted by a training organisation, and later launched his speaker and training business.