YOUNG Enterprise (YE) Scotland has reported a 91% increase in the number of young people accessing its enterprise learning programmes over the past school year.
The record number of more than 24,000 pupils and students across Scotland has been driven by the organisation’s expanding financial education programme and a rise in demand from schools post pandemic to include enterprise in the curriculum. Of these, 1576 young people took part in one of YE Scotland’s accredited programmes that can lead to a qualification in entrepreneurial skills.
In total, nearly half a million teaching hours (465,996) were dedicated to enterprise education in Scottish schools last year.
Marking its 30th anniversary year, YE Scotland has taken huge strides forward at a time when there has been an overwhelming acknowledgement from academia, business and government of the need for enterprise skills to support economic recovery. Enterprise education formed a key part of the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Recovery (NSET) and enterprise is now included as an option in the Young Person’s Guarantee.
Highlights of the 2021/22 year include:
- Increased resources to deliver financial education in all schools and the naming of Crosshouse Primary School as the first Centre of Excellence for financial education to act as a beacon for others.
- Over 2000 young people took part in YE Scotland’s Circular Economy Challenge, extending the legacy of COP26.
- The success of the Scottish winners of the Company Programme and Team Programme in the UK finals. Stars of the Planet from Lochend Community High School were runners-up in the Company Programme and The Three Puffketeers were the UK Team Programme winners.
- The growing success of #FemaleBoss to inspire young female entrepreneurs
- The development of Square Go, a community enterprise space at YE Scotland’s headquarters at Rouken Glen, giving everyone, no matter their background, the opportunity to explore enterprise ideas.
- YE Scotland personnel support to the Scottish Government to deliver enterprise as part of the Young Person’s Guarantee.
Geoff Leask, CEO of YE Scotland said:
“Our driving and unifying ambition at Young Enterprise Scotland is to enable enterprise for all and, as we reach the end of another year, I can say in confidence that we have taken huge strides forward in achieving our mission. The progress over the past year has been the result of hard work and dedication – and we have the personnel, the volunteers and the right programmes in place to do so much more.
“Enterprise is not simply a matter of top-down strategy and inspiration; it is also built from the ground up. The skills that drive businesses to succeed and an entrepreneurial mindset can be nurtured and developed within young people and what better place for that to happen than in the education arena.
“YE Scotland holds an important key to unlocking the potential for Scotland to become an Enterprise Nation, as set out in the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Recovery (NSET).
“The NSET includes the promotion of project-based entrepreneurial learning across the school and post-16 education curricula and the development of an entrepreneurial campus infrastructure, working with the college and university sector to establish campuses as hotbeds of start-up creation. YE Scotland is already playing a significant and a critical part in achieving this ambition and we cannot lose that momentum.
“To make Scotland a place where all young people are given the opportunity to have a rewarding future in work and life – no matter where they start their journey – requires consistent support and funding and we thank our sponsors across the private and public sectors for their continued collaboration in the year ahead.”
