MICHAEL WALSH CORRESPONDENT AND AUTHOR Throughout life I have been privileged to include as friends both the rich and privileged and at the same those regarded as the underclass.

No offence; as a scamp in austere post-war England, I certainly qualified for the latter.

I don’t have class or a social chip on my shoulder. I admired broadcaster and journalist Alan Whicker. The essence of genuineness he would chat amicably with the Sultan of Brunei; stroll out of the rich man’s palace and fall into friendly conversation with a street sweeper. What a gift.

Many friends came from humble backgrounds; they shared beds with siblings; went hungry, and wore hand-me-downs. Many earned success not through academic degrees but sheer tenacity, of course, natural talent and an eye for opportunity with the nous to take advantage of the opportunity. 

With the costs and values of higher education being questioned it is heartening to learn that most great achievers never studied for a degree.

Publication of the vocational rather than the academic rich list appears before WorldSkills London 2011. It identifies British success stories but no doubt the same can be said of Europe’s business best.

At the international skills competition delegates and students compete with the best. Their eyes will shine but not at the prospect of wearing a mortar board and clutching parchment.

There they may chance upon leisure magnate Deborah Meaden or Sir Anthony Bamford, the JCB industrialist. Neither attended university.

They are typical of millions who made a success of their lives whilst bringing prosperity to many others through their own efforts.

In Britain the self-made elite could rescue the country’s beleaguered Chancellor of the Exchequer: collectively they are worth £17.6 billion of which the credit crunch added a billion.

A list of so-called skillionaires has been published. It proves you do not need an expensive academic education to achieve success. The list includes East Ender Laurence Graff who made £2 billion in the diamond trade, and Phones4u tycoon John Caudwell.

We know of self-made Sir James Dyson, who did re-invent the vacuum cleaner wheel. John Frieda, the hair product entrepreneur shares a humble background with world motor racing champion, Jackie Stewart. These and many more like them mix easily with the social elite of Europe.

The ladies are well represented. Apart from Deborah Meadon, who created a £40 million fortune, fashionista Linda Bennett who founded the high street chain under her own name and Karen Miller. Food writer Delia Smith pulled herself up by her bootstraps too.

Alan Sugar, the self-made entrepreneur famously said he has yet to meet an engineer who could turn his hand to business. Not quite true.

The list reveals that of the top 200 self-made elite, 24 engineers made their fortunes despite having only apprenticeship qualifications. Five were hi-tech wizards. 30 out of 100 had backgrounds in property and building. The leisure industry added ten success stories.

Liverpool entrepreneur Robert Burns started the Irish pub’s themes.

He told me he admired a New York Street sweeper. Intrigued by the process of city hygiene he progressed upwards until he was running the world’s biggest city cleansing department. 

A theatre nurse at the same city’s Broadgreen Hospital partnered with Redrow Homes; the UK’s biggest privately owned house builders. I put it to her: ‘You have achieved remarkable success; what advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?’ She replied: ‘Always exceed your customer’s expectations.’ TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

PLEASE SHARE OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION STORIES

MICHAEL WALSH BOOKS are available globally from all major bookstores, Amazon and LULU. The award-winning writer was followed by 500,000 readers of Europe’s Largest Free Newspaper group. CLICK THE LINK TO THE BOOKSTORE. https://michaelwalshbooks.wordpress.com/