Gordon Brown has teamed up with Peter Jones, the Dragon’s Den
entrepreneur, to launch a new enterprise academy that will turn out 200
‘entrepreneur’ graduates a year by 2009.
The PM has given his personal support to the academy, which the
telecoms millionaire has been planning for two years to offer a
vocational qualification in enterprise to 16-19 year-olds.
The nine-month course will mix academic rigour with real business
tasks, such as forming a company, and be taught by tycoons not
teachers, all of them to be interviewed by Jones.
It aims to close the entrepreneurial gap between Britain and the US
where start-up activity is significantly higher – a point the
government will stress alongside tomorrow’s Budget.
The bid to inspire more entrepreneurial activity in Britain,
particularly among women, will be the mission statement of an
enterprise white paper released with the chancellor’s statement.
Like the paper, the academy hopes the profile of enterprise will be
raised, evidenced in part by it offering business skills not just to
budding tycoons but also to aspiring employees.
Whether working self-employed or for a boss, Mr Jones believes that
youngsters starting their careers need to become more entrepreneurial.
“There is a stark difference in the entrepreneurial mindset between the
UK and the US. Here, there tends to be a 'can I?' approach, whereas in
the US the 'I can' belief is instilled from an early age,” he said.
“If the UK economy is to continue to grow, we need to create the right
learning environment for all our children, where their talents can be
developed so they can go out into the workplace or business and
prosper.”
Once the first academy is established in the South East of England,
another will spring up in the North West, with a nationwide roll out of
satellite academies to follow.
The course curriculum will see students work on social enterprise
projects; solve real business problems and work-shadow a local figure
in the business community.
After an initial sample intake of teenagers for enrolment in January,
the academy is expected to open its doors to any students, with help
due to be made available for accommodation and travel expenses.
Speaking to the Daily Telegraph after the announcement, Mr Jones said
he hopes to attach a venture capital to the fund that will invest in
the students’ ideas to turn them into commercial realties.
“They will learn all of the things you need to run a business, the
practical issues,” Mr Jones reportedly said of the students, 200 of
whom are expected to graduate each year from 2009.
He added: “They will also learn mentally how to develop that ‘tycoon
mindset’. Belief is a vital component of every entrepreneur in the
country.”
For its structure of having tycoons instead of teachers the academy is
expected to raise eyebrows in traditional higher education circles,
while also raising questions among entrepreneurs, many of whom believe
being an entrepreneur cannot be taught.
Other business observers believe any initiative to boost start-up rates
in the UK, in addition to the UK’s 270 enterprise schools, associated
courses and Enterprise Week, is welcome.
The government agrees: it will pour in an initial £3-4m of capital
funding to the Enterprise Academy, while its ongoing running costs will
be met by the Learning Skills Council. Its first academic year is
scheduled to start in October 2009.
Mar 12, 2008
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