A MOTIVATIONAL expert is to work with students to encourage them to aim higher.

Nearly 1,500 young people from across Wearside will meet Michael Heppell at the Seaburn Centre, in Sunderland, tomorrow.

He will speak about the advice and training he has used to help invigorate workforces at national companies such as Britvic, Clarks, Scottish Power and Reg Vardy.

Funded by the Government's Aiming Higher and the Excellence in Cities education initiatives, the day will focus on raising the aspirations of students and encouraging higher achievement.

Michael Heppell has spent the past ten years working in the field of human development and personal excellence and will be sharing his knowledge with representatives from the school's sixth forms and the City of Sunderland College.

Sunderland City Council education director Barbara Comiskey said: "The day will be aimed at providing young people with long-term motivation through a drive and passion for success.

"They will be learning about the characteristics of successful people and how to apply them to their own lives."

Participants will go through a process of self-evaluation to identify what is holding them back, and to understand how they can overcome the difficulties.

Mr Heppell said: "It's no accident that some people are more successful than others. Are some people lucky? Do others seem in the right place at the right time? The truth is far from that.

"Highly successful people have in place strategies and techniques, which they use to optimise their performance to ensure their success."