Donna English’s letter on The Apprentice winner Tom Pellereau (29 July) was of great interest. Pellereau’s victory should be an inspiration to our learners in a number of ways. His determination, despite being in the losing team eight times, is highlighted by Ms English. However, there is more.

Pellereau’s win shows that creative minds are as important for business as the stereotypical hard-nosed accountants and cold-blooded negotiators previous shows have promoted. The message should be clear for young people - it takes a range of talents and skills to operate in business.

Perhaps the most important message is the fact that he is such a “nice guy” and that this alone is a trait worth having. In business some might argue it could even be one of the top 10 skills and attributes to possess.

In Scotland we have had a brilliant history of entrepreneurs, but with a philanthropic element attached to the work of some of those great Scots. The focus on enterprise in education over the past decade saw businesses engage wonderfully with schools and learners in ways that helped business as well as education and society.

What will be interesting to note is how those partnerships evolve post ring-fenced government support via Determined to Succeed. Businesses which are engaged will certainly want to continue where there is capacity on the other side for engagement.

However, will the Scottish Government commit to pushing forward the work undertaken to date?

Just as Tom has shown, for success to be realised there needs to be sustained effort, determination and the right people in place to foster those relationships upon which the very foundations of human co-existence, business and society itself are built.

Neil McLennan, President, Enterprise Practitioners’ Association. http:epa.e.scotcol.ac.uk.