Member Article

Cash boost for teenage business brains

A regional business organisation is giving would-be Alan Sugars across the North East a cash boost to put them on the road to riches. The North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) has received £54,000 to set up enterprise initiatives in three schools in the region. The Young Chambers initiative will give 14 to 19-year-olds at Business and Enterprise Colleges a leadership role in their local market place, supporting them to make decisions, decide on projects and then acquire the skills to make them happen.

NECC will be working with Burnside Business and Enteprise College in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear; All Saints College in Newcastle and Castle View School in Hylton Castle, Sunderland. Each of the schools will also receive a grant of £9,500 from the Department for Education and Skills to set up and operate the Young Chambers.

Moira Shaftoe, NECC School Liaison Officer, said: “This idea is supported by Gordon Brown and was mentioned in the year’s budget. He believes the spirit of enterprise should be encouraged in education because it leads to acquiring skills for life. “Young Chambers will bring together lots of new ideas for local business and they will have to make decisions, acquire the knowledge and skills to set up projects and interact much more closely with local businesses. They might help run events, for example, or acquire leadership or skills’ training and then pass it onto younger pupils or their own teachers.”

Neil Heron, Burnside’s citizenship co-ordinator, said: “So far business training has concentrated on helping young people acquire the skills to be very employable and we will continue to do this – but the Young Chambers will help tomorrow’s enterpreneurs make the most of their own ideas and acquire the experience to run their own businesses.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .