Holiday Inn Birmingham has launched a new pilot scheme to get local schoolchildren into the boardroom for a head start in business.

The hotel is offering schools in local areas free meeting rooms to hold classroom meetings where children will take part in kid-friendly presentations in front of classmates with Apprentice-style tips from an expert.

Tim Hooton, general manager of the hotel near junction seven of the M6, said: “Getting kids into the boardroom may seem like an unusual idea, but we believe that the confidence they’ll gain from being in a boardroom environment will provide great life skills for the future.

“As part of our ongoing community relations project, we are really excited to offer the dedicated meetings rooms in our academy and the advice of our meetings and events team to our local schools and pupils.”

Holiday Inn has teamed up with senior lecturer in psychology, Dr David Holmes at Manchester Metropolitan University to highlight the need for children to begin thinking about and training for business. Schools wishing to participate can nominate themselves email hiteam@webershandwick.co.uk.