SUPPORTING YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS 75
the future
The enterprising young of today are the adults of tomorrow and with a growing elderly population we need to develop young people who are going to be able to manage effectively well into the future.
5 In the UK currently there is a considerable shift in government policy to encourage the development of entrepreneurship and one of seven key strategic themes is encouraging more enterprise in disadvantaged communities and wider under represented groups. There is also an intention to increase the proportion of young people( aged 16 – 24) considering going into business. 4 The targeting of resources to local authorities through the LEGI initiative, 5 coupled with the greater involvement of Regional Development Agencies in this area further supports the implementation of stated policy objectives through local regeneration initiatives.
7 How to effectively engage the NEET group in meaningful and legal self employment? As an accredited advisor I would welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with Connexions to provide quality programmes to engage this group in meaningful activity. The schools Enterprise Education Network are worthwhile initiatives for young people who are in education as they can receive the necessary information. Young people who are not in school and who have developed their own trading systems to raise income, present yet an additional challenge to the area of enterprise development.
6 I would strongly argue that many young people excluded from the formal education system have developed‘ business skills’ through alternative activities which are widely reported in the news. They understand customer service, reliability, competitive pricing and sustainability. However the challenges that face professionals tasked with engaging NEET [ young people Not in Education, Employment or Training ] such as Connexions for example, is how to engage these young people who have left school with little or no qualifications and family life less than ideal.
8 There is much that needs to be done to harness the skills of these young people and turn around a belief system that currently has them operating on the margins of society. Their energy and talents can thus be channelled into legitimate business pursuits which could inculcate a deeper sense of pride and achievement which is afforded beyond small networks but within the wider society.
Yvonne Witter MA, SFEDI; AIBA MD Ampod Business Development & Training www. ampod. co. uk
1
Sarah Lloyd Jones People and Work Unit
2
Furlong and Cartmel [ 1997 ] Young People and Social Change – Individualisation and risk in late modernity, Buckingham: Open University Press
3
Kellard et al. [ 1998 ] Helping Unemployed People into self – employment. Centre for Research in Social Policy. London: Department for Education and Employment
4
The Small Business Service: 5 years on Enabling the Enterprise Revolution http:// www. cbi. org. uk / pdf / enterpriserev0805. pdf and http:// www. sbs. gov. uk / sbsgov
5
About Local Enterprise Growth Initiative http:// www. neighbourhood. gov. uk / page. asp? id = 1696
ISSUE THREE 2007 engage | uk