As the young men took their seats around the enormous boardroom table, their manner was suitably composed, but it was obvious that this was not an environment they had expected to find themselves in quite this soon, if ever.

The occasion was the formal announcement of a partnership between Catlin Insurance and CedarBridge Academy that presents great opportunity to the students selected to take part in the pilot programme.

Present were Kalmar Richards, principal, and Dale Jackson, programme coordinator, from CedarBridge Academy; Catlin chief executive officer Graham Pewter, Lisa Robinson, Head of Catlin human resources, and the Catlin mentors who will make themselves available to the students as part of the programme; the eight students themselves; and many of their parents.

There was a palpable buzz of excitement. As the short speeches started, the young men paid close attention. Most of them have ideas about what career path they would like to choose.

One or two have started considering insurance, now that they have been welcomed as honoured guests by a major international insurance and reinsurance company.

These are the eight students selected to take part in the pilot programme: