A decade ago, secondary and higher education was listed above all else. Apprenticeships(学徒工作) were considered as a choice for dropouts(辍学者) rather than a brave career choice. Some young men and women didn’t fit into the school system, but preferred to find new starts, so they were allowed to leave school to focus their attention on making a living in the business world.

Now there’re no birds of this year in last year’s nests. Young people are being encouraged to think carefully about whether what they are learning in school is right for them—this trend has been caused by rising university fees and a global shortage of many skills that were ignored in schools in recent years, ranging from web development to sales.

Young people are required to stay in education or training until they are 18, but now learning takes place in different forms. The Government also has its own way to help interested youths find an apprenticeship that suits their skills and ambitions.

Tom Hartley now owns a large business in Derbyshire, who founded his first company at just 12 years old. “I had no school education,” he says. “Running business was how I learned everything. I call it the Hartley University of Life.

His business, 43 years on, turns over £ 200 million, and sells cars to customers all over the world. Many years ago, Hartley was asked to explain why he had chosen to be self-educated and why he had supported his son’s decision to leave school and join the family business.

“I got heavy suspect at the time,” he explains. “you can’t teach gut feelings(直觉) on a blackboard. School is fine if you want to be a doctor or fly a rocket to the moon, but it is not true about experience in business.”

A．He attaches more value to experience than to education.

B．He was supported in founding his first company.

C．He is well-educated and far-sighted.

D．He is brave and open-minded.

Campbell Remess taught himself how to sew when he was only 9 years old. It all started three years ago, when Campbell asked his parents if they could buy Christmas presents for kids in hospital. They were touched by his kindness, but told him that buying so many toys would be too costly. He is one of nine children, and buying presents for all of them was already a pretty expensive affair for the parents.

Campbell didn’t let a simple “no” discourage him from bringing a bit of joy to kids going through tough times, so he decided to make the presents himself. It took the 9-year-old boy five hours to create his first stuffed (填充的) toy. However after three years of practice, he is now able to put one together in just an hour.

“I was blown away by the first bear,” his mother said. “Overly impressed but not surprised at his determination to teach himself.” The successful experiment only inspired Campbell Remess to become better at sewing, and challenged himself to create one stuffed toy per day and donate them to sick children struggling in the hospital. Project 365 by Campbell was born. Over the last three years, Campbell Remess has created over 800 stuffed toys for sick children.

Campbell sends his toys to children all over the world, and still visits the Royal Hobart Hospital in his home city of Hobart, Tasmania, to personally gift toy animals to sick kids there and loves to see the reaction on their faces. “They smile and some hug me. It makes their whole day better,” he says.

“Campbell is just wired really differently. He looks at sadness and tries to turn it upside down,” his mother says. “He’s not a quitter—I only see bigger and brighter things for him.”

Last December,I was invited to a party in a company that provides roofing services. I’d never been there before, and I had it in my head that I’d walk in and see men with a smell of metal, asphalt shingles(沥青瓦) and truck oil in the air.But the image I created in my head was far from the truth.

As I walked up to the main entrance of Universal Roofing in Indianapolis,I was greeted by a lovely lady.We didn’t know each other,but she was so welcoming and led me straight to the Grilliant Foods barbeque buffet.

I soon filled my plate and headed for a table populated with people I didn’t know.After several bites, I started meeting my fellow table mates: a mix of a retired employee, a customer, and a partner,all of whom were talking about how long they had known Rob,who was the owner of the company, and the pleasant experiences of working with him. I personally was most impressed with the retired employee at the table.He was back and enjoying himself simply because he missed the people.

After lunch I started to walk through the hall.I was impressed with how nicely decorated everything was.From the choice of colors on the walls,the furniture ,and flooring,there was love put into the decoration.

On my walk,I was soon stopped, hugged and thanked for coming by Rob, and his son, Sam. In reality, they hadn’t known me all that long,but there was an unspoken feeling I had—I felt at home.

Later, I visited their website. “Rob treats everyone who works for him like family,” reads the website. Actually, he treats everyone like family,and because of that,everyone around him treats the people they encounter like family.It’s what has made him so successful in business and in life.