Secondary school students taking part in our Company Programme in London, set up pop-up stalls and sold their products at the historic Old Spitalfields Market.
The event, sponsored by Delta Air Lines, saw young entrepreneurs selling innovative and environmentally friendly products, including: up-cycled and re-purposed denim, well being hampers, food waste reduction solutions and a time management app.
Students across London have made all the decisions about their business, from deciding the company name and product, to creating a business plan, managing their finances and selling their products.
“I’m always impressed by the innovative thinking of the students who present their businesses at this event. As a company that puts innovation and technology at the forefront of air travel, these companies all have something in common with Delta and I’m sure these students will go on to have successful careers.”
– Graham Farhall, Regional Director Finance at Delta and Young Enterprise Board Member
The student companies were awarded by an expert panel of judges, including Graham Farhall, Delta Air Lines; Mark Haines, HSBC; Andy Hamlyn, Capita; Dean Ahmad, contestant on last years The Apprentice; Ricky Blair, Colliers, and Pete Reis Campbell of Kaizen.
Team Venator from Watford Grammar School for Boys
Product: Boot bag with bamboo activated charcoal
Team Viprus from Watford Grammar School for Boys
Product: A Wi-Fi sharing NFC puck
“From the experience we’ve learnt that running a business requires a lot of work, preparation, due diligence and attention to detail is paramount. Winning best overall company at the Old Spitalfields Trade Fair means that across the board we are providing a better product and service to customers and we have a clear message for what we want to help out customers with.” – Pallav, Managing Director, Viprus
“The Young Enterprise Company Programme is a fantastic way for young people of all backgrounds to discover transferable employability skills they never knew they had. Congratulations are in order for all teams who are taking part in Company Programme this year, and will certainly be imparted with an invaluable learning experience that you can’t find in textbooks.” – Sharon Davies, CEO, Young Enterprise
At Young Enterprise, our fantastic team of volunteers and staff help young people (and the brilliant educators who support them), to build the vital skills, financial capabilities and entrepreneurial mindset needed to navigate a world of work that is changing fast.
These opportunities help open doors they sometimes didn’t know were there and can transform futures. Sadly these opportunities are not available to all young people. In fact, regional inequalities are growing, and we are passionate about tackling them head on.
I am fundraising for Young Enterprise by swimming 30 miles over 6 swimming events in 2020. These include: Salford Quays (200m on Jan 1st and 6 miles in June ) the length of Ullswater (7.3 miles) Castle Howard Lake (3.1 miles ) Llyn Padarn in North Wales (3.1 miles). Oh, and yes the length of Windermere! (10.5 miles) in September.
Over the next 3 years Young Enterprise wants to create and deliver 1 million financial and enterprise education opportunities for young people this will cost £16 million pounds. All donations to my swimming challenge will fund opportunities for more young people to build the vital skills they need to learn to earn and look after their money, to develop an enterprising mindset and make a positive contribution to their communities and wider society.
Thank you so much for joining me on this journey and for any donation you are able to make.
Sharon's JustGiving Page
‘No Time Like the Future’ is a call to action to ensure no young person is left behind, to close the skills gap and deliver opportunities that future generations deserve – no matter what their background. The launch event brought together business leaders, philanthropists, alumni and education and policy stakeholders to explore how we can ensure young people have the tools to build successful futures.
“I know that inspiring young people is the key to unlocking their potential – and I have seen the fantastic success stories of how Young Enterprise and Young Money have transformed lives and given young people the freedom to achieve success on their own terms.
The creation of ‘No Time Like The Future’ is a real opportunity to make sure this happens in a systematic way across the country” – Sharon Davies, CEO, Young Enterprise
“It’s not where you come from that matters, it’s where you want to get to. Young Enterprise captures the spirit of that.” – Sir Rod Aldridge OBE, founder, Capita and founder, The Aldridge Foundation
Nahyan says Young Enterprise helped him develop his skills and overcome his fears.
“It was an amazing experience because it helped me develop my core employability skills, especially something I was really lacking in which was confidence. I was that kid in the background that never allowed my voice to be heard. Young Enterprise has been the building blocks of developing my life skills and opportunities.”
“I’ve been able to have a dynamic and exciting career – starting from the bottom and working my way up. I would really recommend taking Young Enterprise’s programmes – you never know where they may take you!”
“Young Enterprise really made me stand out. It helped me take opportunities and drive them forward. It’s really transformed the course of my whole life.”
The Power of Partnerships: Building the Workforce of the Future
The No Time like the Future campaign sets out to ensure that every young person is provided with the opportunity to learn the vital skills needed to earn and look after their money, to develop an enterprising mindset and to make a valuable contribution to their communities and society.
The launch event at UCLX featured a panel discussion, with speakers including Sir Rod Aldridge OBE, Founder, Capita, Bob Gilworth, Director of Careers Group, University of London, Coral Taylor, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, HSBC and Emma Higgins, Teaching Consultant, Young Money
Sharon Davies, CEO, Young Enterprise, said: “We know that the brightest and best don’t just come from a small section of society, they come from a range of communities in the UK. This is why it is vital for us to ensure that no young person gets left behind and doesn’t get the chance to live up to their potential.”
In order to achieve this goal, Young Enterprise are mobilising 40,000 volunteers, teachers, and alumni across their network which will require an investment 16 million pounds over the next three years to create a minimum of 1 million opportunities to help young people activate their untapped ambition.
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