Business people wanted to guide workers of the future
A recruitment drive has begun to find four volunteer business advisers who will share their experience and enthusiasm with Chesterfield and Derbyshire pupils to help them succeed in a national competition.
Run by the UK’s largest enterprise and education charity, the Young Enterprise Company Programme challenges students aged 15-19 to set up a business for an academic year while developing transferable employability skills that would be an asset to future employers.
This year’s local Young Enterprise Area Final will take place at the Winding Wheel in Chesterfield in March with the winning company going on to the Derbyshire County event in April. Winners here progress to the national HSBC Young Enterprise Innovation Awards in London to battle it out to become the UK’s Young Enterprise Company of the Year.
Hazel James, a recruitment and training officer at Rykneld Homes has been volunteering as a business adviser since 2008. Sharing her enthusiasm for the role and encouraging others to join, Hazel said:-
“I remember my first meeting well. I struggled to see this room full of sixth formers ever being able to pull themselves together and build a business from nothing! At first I couldn’t understand my role in the room but in time developed a style that has worked for both of us.
“I had to resist the temptation to jump in too early and take over when things went wrong or looked like they were going wrong. It’s all about learning by doing, and there is no better way to learn than from mistakes (because you won’t make the same ones again!). The company does not have to be successful to be a great learning experience – business/work failure is going to happen at some point in everyone’s life (even the likes of Sir Richard Branson) so it might as well be in the safe environment of Young Enterprise.
“Being a business adviser is an incredibly rewarding and exciting experience both for yourself and for the local community. You make a real difference to the lives and potential of young people in their area by helping them to understand the world of business and to prepare them for their working lives.”
Vice Chair of the Young Enterprise North Derbyshire Area Board, Steve Taylor comments:-
“We all have a responsibility to support young people in making the transition from school to the workplace and I am looking forward to expanding our current business adviser team this year.
With no qualifications or business start-up experience required, this is a great opportunity for anyone seeking to get involved with the local community and work with and inspire young people, at the same time as developing their own skills and broaden their knowledge.”
Business advisers are asked to commit to an initial one hour per week for the first month of the project and then one hour per fortnight, with most activity during the autumn and spring terms.
There is also comprehensive support for the advisers and students and there is a detailed handbook as well as access to the Company Programme website.
Anyone interesting in becoming a Young Enterprise Business Adviser should contact Steve Taylor at Start Financial Planning on 01246 268527 or email steve@startfp.co.uk.
