COMEDIAN Russell Kane has no problem entertaining a late-night club audience full of drunken oil rig workers.

But his latest gig offered a rather more formidable audience when he was asked to talk to students at Cecil Jones Business and Enterprise College in Southend.

Russell was invited along as guest speaker for a special presentation day designed to inspire young people.

The college’s director of community development, Stephen Cook, is a friend of the comedian. Stephen said: “I have known Russell for quite a while and I thought he would be an ideal person to inspire the kids as well as entertain them. Being a stand-up comic is about as entrepreneurial as it gets when it comes to building a career and getting yourself gigs.”

Russell entertained the students with items from his regular stand-up routine, but also offered a semi-serious message.

“I tried a few things and made a few mistakes before I decided that stand-up was what I was going to go for,” he said.

“The message is simple, really, decide what you want, and go for it, stay focused, and you’ll make it.”

Other guest speakers at the event included Dan Chambers, who won the Young Entrepreneur Award at the Echo’s 2008 Southend Business awards, and businessman Sabirul Islan, who set up his first profitable business when he was 14.

Headteacher Doug Nichols said: “We’re a college specialising in business and enterprise, and one of our jobs is to show our students the opportunities that are out there if they grab them. The speakers did an excellent job. All three were great motivators.”

Cecil Jones sixth form students were joined by guest students from Shoeburyness, St Thomas More and King Edmund schools.