We are very pleased to announce that we have pledged our further commitment to helping young people to learn how to run their own businesses within school through the national education charity Young Enterprise.
Young Enterprise was founded to forge links between schools and industry and works on the principle of “learning by doing”. The charity brings volunteers from business into the classroom to work with teachers and students and together they run a business for the period of one academic year.
King James’s School is setting up two companies this year and Paul Marsh, Managing Director of GSPK Design Ltd is to take part as a Business Advisor for the third year in a row. Dianne Murray, Account Manager at GSPK Design is also taking part having been involved with Young Enterprise as a Business Advisor and also as a Harrogate Board member for the past 7 years.
Paul and Dianne will work with the students by volunteering one hour of their week during the school term. During this time they will impart their business acumen, experience and know-how to guide them through the highs, lows, successes and pitfalls of running a business. This kind of education works by taking the theory off the page and out of the classroom to make the experience a reality.
The scheme will form part of student’s business education and includes all disciplines including the position of Managing Director, finance, marketing, sales, operations, production, ICT and human resources etc.
The student’s efforts will culminate in an end of year presentation event when each company taking part within the Harrogate and Knaresborough region will battle it out at a dedicated awards evening; the winners of which will be invited to take part at subsequent regional and national rounds in order to be crowned “Company of the Year”.
Paul Marsh, Managing Director for GSPK Design Ltd said – “I think this is a fantastic opportunity for these young adults to gain hands-on business experience which helps to develop the valuable soft skills they will need for their future careers. The Young Enterprise scheme makes provision for everyone taking part to carry out all the various activities required from marketing to product development; sales and financial control. It is carrying out these day-to-day real life business activities which helps push their boundaries and give them the confidence and skills to really think out of the box and apply that entrepreneurial spirit into other parts of their lives; which surely can only be a good thing.”
Gemma Skinner, teacher of business studies at King James’s School and link teacher added – “Given that the future of Britain requires enterprising people, enterprise is now an integral part of the classroom. This opportunity is fantastic for pupils to develop their enterprise skills whilst gaining personal experience of how a business works. As a business studies teacher, and someone who believes strongly in enterprise, it is fantastic to see pupils who have not necessarily studied business before realise its importance and see them develop their enterprise skills and be motivated to take an active part in shaping their own future.”
If you would like further information on Young Enterprise or if you wish to get involved; please visit the Young Enterprise website at: www.young-enterprise.org.uk.
