The founder of a successful Bradford business has visited a school to deliver a talk and motivate students.
Naveed Khan, of EnKahnz, a vehicle body repair and customisation workshop, was at Queensbury Academy, alongside his colleague, designer Saaqib Ali, where he spoke to year 11 pupils.
Mr Khan, from Girlington, encouraged students to reap the rewards of hard work, rather than to follow a path of “quick and easy money.”
“We look at things like Instagram and see this money-chasing high-life. That kind of lifestyle is achievable, but has to come from hard work”, Mr Khan said.
“It’s tough, the journey is a continuous struggle, but I wanted to show the students at Queensbury Academy that the sky’s the limit.
“I’m a local lad and I’ve been through the same experiences as many of the students. I was born in Girlington and my dad was a bus driver - I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I enjoyed telling the students my story and I spoke to them in a way they could understand, so that they could relate.
“There’s a lot of talent and successful people in Bradford and we all need to invest in our youth together.
“The kids were buzzing. When we arrived in the car park, they came to the car window and were really excited. Afterwards, they asked questions and took photos with us. It was nice and it made me want to come back in the future.
Saaqib Ali, 23, described it as being vital for students’ aspirations: “The students have their GCSEs soon and we wanted to try and give them a boost with their attainment and to motivate them.
“Naveed did an apprenticeship and worked in many garages and at 23, opened his first car workshop, which grew into EnKahnz.
“In contrast, I went to the University of Huddersfield and studied Product Design - we showed the pupils those two different angles to show them there isn’t just one path to success.”
One Queensbury Academy student said, “I want to work hard and gain great GCSE results, and Mr Khan has inspired me to do so. I can see anything is possible so long as I work hard and dream.”
Mr Khan says he often gets invited to schools, most often to his alma mater, Keighley College, where he studied over 20 years ago, invited by his old tutor, John Thornham, who leads the vehicle body repair course at its Leeds City College campus. He has also worked with some of the biggest car manufacturers in the world and also with sports personalities, such as Amir Khan and Tom Cleverley.
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