View from a teacher...

A MIDDLESBROUGH teacher believes teaching Young Enterprise North East (YENE) programmes alongside academic qualifications is the key to students achieving their full potential.

King’s Academy business and enterprise coordinator Sean Ord completed a YENE programme whilst he was at school, so recognises the value of the enterprise education sessions in prompting a successful career.

The school is now in its third year running Young Enterprise programmes, putting almost 300 students through either the Company or Learn 2 Earn programme and creating four successful student businesses. Now King’s Academy is looking to further expand its number of enterprise sessions, including Learn to Earn and Startup, and encourage primary programmes in its feeder schools.

Sean first experienced YENE whilst undergoing the Company Programme himself 15 years ago. By holding the position of managing director of a stationery shop within his school, he learnt vital business skills.

Sean maintained his relationship with YENE and became a long-term volunteer delivering programmes in schools and helping to train new volunteers. Now a teacher, Sean has five years’ experience leading programmes.

He said: “YENE is such a valuable experience for young people as it gives them an insight into the real world of running a day to day business.

“So many of our students are interested in running their own businesses one day and the YENE programmes gives them the opportunity to experience the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur.”

Sean believes if it were not for his own experience of YENE he would not have had the confidence and skills to set up his own photography business, which he does in his spare time. Sean is urging other young people in business to transfer their industry knowledge to students in classrooms.

Sean said: “It is important to contextualise students’ learning by showing how theory relates to real life. Business volunteers offer fantastic real life experience that they can share with students to help them develop their understanding of the business world.

“The main hurdle for students is thinking of innovative and sustainable product ideas; business volunteers can offer different perspectives and help generate new angles.

“As industry experience becomes increasingly as important as qualifications, it is clear that a YENE alumni is better prepared than the average student.

“In current economic times we are relying on new business ventures to help bring us out of the situation. Therefore it is vital we continue to receive support from business volunteers.”

OMG.... No not the Usher song, but Outstanding, Magnificent, Gob ‘smackingly’ great...
Hi my name is Uel J. Readioff from First Aid Today UK Ltd, I was asked to support a Young Enterprise North East event in a small way to help it run smoothly.
Outstanding, Magnificent, Gob ‘smackingly’ great...
That’s exactly what I saw at a Young Enterprise event last month; talent bubbling over, enthusiasm brimming and the biggest proudest grins in young adults I’ve seen in ages.
As an avid supporter of Young Enterprise, I have had 8 years experience working with young adults and this year they have blown me away with their vision, entrepreneurial skills, drive and ambition.
An apprenticeship might just be the answer to an employer’s prayers looking to grow their team.
Often overlooked for their lack of experience young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 are the secret to helping your business success, grow and expand.
Full of fresh ideas, fresh drive and ambition and a real tonic to any team in my eyes. Engaging just one apprentice in your business is enough to help raise staff confidences, morale, your business profile and show your peers you’re a forward thinking company. With young adults, we ourselves remember what it was like to be 16 again.
However, now apprenticeships are being delivered as training programmes that allow a young adult to gain real work experience, study for a qualification and get paid all at the same time.
An apprenticeship is a structured programme of training which gives young adults an opportunity to work for employers learning on the job, building up knowledge and transferable skills that will be needed throughout their working life.
For more information of how you can get involved as a volunteer working with young adults in enterprise contact: janet.woodhouse@yene.org.uk

SMART TEESSIDE STUDENTS WIN YOUNG ENTERPRISE CHALLENGE

ENTERPRISING Teesside students are in the running to be named Young Enterprise North East’s ‘Company of the Year’ after triumphing in the South Area Final this week.

Smarty Pants, a company set up by students from Teesside High School won the Best Overall Company award at the South Area Final where they pitched their business idea to a panel of judges.

The team will now go on to the Regional Final on 15 June with the chance to be named Company of the Year and represent the North East at the National Final held in London this July.

Smarty Pants produce quality audio CD revision guides and online resources for the GCSE science market. The company is currently seeking endorsement from the AQA examining board and it has already sold 200 copies to Darlington Building Society, who will distribute the product through its Young Savers scheme.

Smarty Pants joint managing director Rachel Goodier said: “We put so much work into our product, and trade stand so to win the Area Final was the icing on the cake. Thank you to Young Enterprise North East and our business advisers who helped us so much, we really appreciate it.”

Students from The English Martyrs School & Sixth Form College in Hartlepool also got through to the next round, with their business idea ‘Munchkins’.

Munchkins, launched by a group of year 12 business and textile students, produces personalised aprons and recipe books for children.

The students hope to target the product at parents to encourage them to cook with their children. They hope to promote in a similar way to Jamie Oliver's school dinners campaign to encourage children to learn how to cook for themselves and understand healthy options. They have already sold a number of the products in their own school and other local nurseries and primary schools.

Munchkins managing director Georgia Wilkinson said; “Setting up our own Young Enterprise company has been a brilliant experience. We have worked well as a team and all the hard work has now paid off by winning a place at the Regional Final. We are over the moon.”

Students from Stockton Sixth Form College were named as runners up and the Best Team Programme award went to students from Catcote Business and Enterprise School in Hartlepool.

The winning teams beat off stiff competition from the other student companies taking part including, ‘Boblania’ from Stockton Sixth Form College, ‘Elftopia’ from Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough, ‘Supercats’ and ‘Free Bikes for Africa’ from Catcote Business and Enterprise School in Hartlepool , ‘EDIT’ from The King’s Academy in Middlesbrough and ‘Green Machine’ from Darlington Education Village.

The schools are all taking part in YENE’s Company and Team (special needs) programmes, which sees students, establish a real company complete with products to sell, targets to reach, a board of directors and saleable shares.

At the Area Final, the students displayed their products and presented their business plans to the judging panel that included, ONE North East enterprise specialist adviser Angela Craggs, Business Link skills adviser Richard Asquith and business coach Peter Wilkinson.

They were judged on the quality of their company report, trade stand and pitch presentation.

Sponsors of the event included, Sunderland Software City, Sabic, Durham Business Club, Darlington Building Society and One North East.

STUDENTS BAG THEMSELVES ENTERPRISE TRADING AWARDS

Students from John Spence Community High School in Tyne and Wear scooped the Overall Winner Award with their company ‘Cookii Doh.

NEWCASTLE students swept the board at the annual Young Enterprise North East (YENE) Trade Fair, where they were awarded by the standard of their business ideas and selling skills.

A record 44 student companies, who have set up their own businesses as part of their Young Enterprise programme set out their stalls at the Metro Centre last weekend to compete in the seven award categories.

The young tycoons all took part in the Young Enterprise Company, Team (special needs) or Graduate programmes, which saw them set up a real trading company, sell their innovative products to the public and learn all about business in the process.

Students from John Spence Community High School in Tyne and Wear scooped the Overall Winner Award with their company ‘Cookii Doh, which designs and prints bespoke t-shirts and badges.

Newcastle University graduates won the Best Graduate Programme category with their business ‘Queen Bee Candles’, - an eco friendly candle making company that also raises money to 'save the bees'.

The Most Creative Company award went to students from Newcastle College who set up ‘Button your Face’ - a company that designs and prints coloured textiles that cover buttons and turns them into jewellery. Students from Newcastle Church High School won the Best use of Sales and Marketing award for their promotion of their business ‘Bright Life Books’.

Northumbria University students won the Best Trade Stand category, ‘Wooden Spoon’ set out their stall with a student cookbook, which includes recipes that take a twist on classic student meals.

Students from Oakleigh Gardens school in Cleadon, South Tyneside scooped the Best Team Programme’ Award with their company, ‘Del Boy Enterprises’, which produces handmade fridge magnets, jewellery, bookmarks and tea lights all for just £1.00.

Taking an award for south of the Tyne was students from Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough, who won the Best Product award for their business ‘Elftopia’, which has designed a children's game to encourage healthy eating and lifestyle.

The companies were judged on their business models on the day by members of the local business community including, ONE North East’s Enterprise Specialist Adviser Angela Craggs, Kristina Henry from the Home Group and Peter Wagstaff at Coutts banking.

Speaking of the event, chief executive of Young Enterprise North East Catherine Marchant said: “The Young Enterprise Trade Fair is always a day I always look forward to. It is just lovely to see the student’s businesses come to life and see how their entrepreneurial spirit really does shine when they leave the classroom and sell to the public in a real shopping mall.

“All of the students were great contenders and it was a real achievement for them to make it to the Trade Fair to learn about selling in a real trading world.

“Overall the judges were impressed with the high standard achieved from all schools and colleges involved and we want to again thank everyone involved for the support Young Enterprise has received from local schools and businesses.”

Judge Angela Craggs said: “The Young Enterprise North East Trade Fair at the Metro Centre was a great day and all of the young people were truly inspirational.”

BUSINESS CHIEFS URGED TO JOIN ENTERPRISE 2020 VISION

Students from Richardson Dees Primary School in Wallsend launched the Young Enterprise North East 2020 Vision campaign. (Left to right) Back row: YENE chief executive Catherine Marchant. Middle row: Carrie Donley, Zoe Tucker, Tabbitha Garratt. Bottom row: Ben Edgar and Ife Akinropo.

STUDENTS from across the region have helped employers to ‘see clearly,’ by launching Young Enterprise North East’s (YENE) new ‘2020 Vision’ appeal donning giant sunglasses in the shape of ‘2020’.

The 2020 Vision is YENE’s latest call-to-action that aims to gain longer-term commitment from the business and education audience, which will offer the charity more sustainability as it now looks beyond the recession.

Students from Richardson Dees Primary School in Wallsend launched the campaign alongside YENE’s chief executive Catherine Marchant by wearing 2020 glasses. All students from the school have participated in some kind of Young Enterprise activity.

YENE chief executive Catherine Marchant said: “As the region looks beyond the recession, it is the next decade that will shape our economic success – innovation entrepreneurship and leadership will need to be at the forefront of business activity over the next 10 years. But our future leaders in the next 10 years are at school right now.

“As the region’s longest standing enterprise education provider, we now need to reach the education, business and youth audiences to inspire them to work together to be a stronger region by 2020 and we all need to see clearly the benefits of working together, which we will set out to show.”

YENE is now seeking to forge long-term relationships between businesses and schools working together to ensure a strong and thriving local economy in ten year’s time.

YENE hopes that the campaign will equip young people that are still at school now to have enterprising attitudes and work based skills for when they leave education and enter the working world within the next decade.

“By longer term business commitment we mean anything from implementing YENE volunteering programmes into a CSR plan, designating us as a chosen charity for the next 10 years or actually adopting a local school in your area – the benefits are massive, as these young people are indeed future workforces,” Catherine added.

As well as encouraging businesses to see why enterprise in schools is vital to the future of their business, the campaign aims to encourage more schools and teachers in the region to run YENE’s range of enterprise education programmes, and it will highlight to young people that enterprise is a cool and exciting career option.

Representatives from the business community that have already showed their long-term support to the cause include Procter and Gamble, which has supported YENE for 15 years, Dickinson Dees who has provided volunteers for the last six years and Accenture, who has just received the ‘Extreme Partner Award’ by Junior Achievement, the worldwide movement of which Young Enterprise is a member nation.

Regional Development Agency One NorthEast is supporting the campaign. Head of Business, Enterprise and Skills, Tim Pain said: “We share many of the priorities identified by Young Enterprise North East and are fully behind this vision.

“Inspiring the innovators and entrepreneurs of tomorrow, and providing conditions in which they can thrive, will create the new businesses and new jobs that will help our regional economy grow in a way that is both dynamic and sustainable.”

CBI North East regional director Sarah Green said: “Now more than ever is a critical time for young people to become involved in business. The CBI is working constantly to forge stronger links between business, schools, colleges and universities, and we recognise the need to nurture the commercial potential shown by our school and university leavers. By encouraging the development of talent and offering support and guidance, Young Enterprise North East is providing a springboard for the schoolchildren of today to become the business leaders of tomorrow.

The 2020 Vision programme will be of fundamental importance in stimulating interest in business among our young people, and in doing so, will help shape the economic success of our region in the years to come.”

For more information on Young Enterprise North East and its 2020 Vision visit: www.young-enterprise.org.uk.

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