Peter Jones’s National
Enterprise Academy opens its doors to train the next generation of entrepreneurs
News Release issued by
the COI News Distribution Service on 21 September 2009
Young people will
now be able to study for brand-new qualifications in enterprise
and entrepreneurship as the National Enterprise Academy (NEA),
brainchild of Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Peter Jones, and backed by
Government, officially opens today. The NEA, the first-ever UK
educational institution dedicated solely to enterprise and
entrepreneurship, will pioneer a new and innovative way of
teaching. It will expose students to real-life business issues in
real-life business environments, with a high level of input from a
range of entrepreneurs acting as mentors, supporting trained
tutors.
The NEA will enrol nearly 18,000 learners in its first five
years, giving young people and older learners the skills and
confidence to become enterprising employees or entrepreneurs in
their own right. The Department for Business, Innovation and
Skills has invested up to £9m, matched by employers, creating a
powerful partnership which allows employers to lead and shape the
skills being taught.
Speaking at the launch of the Academy at the London headquarters
of Orange, the NEA’s exclusive communications and key corporate
partner, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said:
“Enterprise is essential to our future and it starts with young
people. This Academy will play a vital role in helping young
people unlock their talent and gain the skills necessary for a
better future, both for themselves and the country. The Academy
and its students deserve every support and success.”
The two new qualifications have a strong focus on practical
skills. The first, a level 2 BTEC Diploma in Understanding
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and the second, a level 3 BTEC
Diploma in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, have been developed in
partnership with Edexcel, the UK’s largest qualifications awarding
body. Both will be available to 16 to 19-year-olds from this
September at the NEA’s enterprise centres in Buckinghamshire and
Manchester. The qualifications will also be integrated into
diplomas.
Peter Jones, entrepreneur and founder of the NEA, said:
“While it’s true that traditional business studies courses equip
students with a wealth of valuable theoretical business knowledge,
there is currently no single academic course wholly dedicated to
enterprise and entrepreneurship – a fact that inspired me to set
about establishing the National Enterprise Academy.
“In the UK, we need to foster amongst our young people an ‘I can’
rather than a ‘Can I?’ attitude. That is not to say we do not
already possess a great deal of young talent in Britain – far from
it. But up until now, we have simply not done enough to unlock the
entrepreneurial talents of our young people. There is arguably no
better time to create a National Enterprise Academy than during a
recession. The UK needs entrepreneurs to stimulate the economy and
businesses need inspired employees to help their companies recover
quickly. With the continued support of Government and the private
sector, the National Enterprise Academy will create both”.
The NEA opens its doors after a successful Pathfinder pilot
programme began in January 2009 where 28 students were recruited
on to an intensive six-month programme designed to develop, shape
and test the UK’s first ever qualifications dedicated solely to
enterprise and entrepreneurship. The results of this pilot
programme are outstanding: several students have already
established their own businesses, some are continuing in
education, including taking up further provision with the NEA,
gaining further knowledge and skills which will help them make a
contribution to the country’s economic growth. Five of the
graduates have been offered positions by high-profile
organisations.
Tom Alexander, CEO of Orange UK, the NEA’s exclusive
communications and key corporate partner, said:
“UK businesses play a pivotal role in transforming the
entrepreneurial culture in the UK. For us at Orange, constant
innovation is essential in order to achieve our goal of becoming
the best-loved telecommunications company in Britain. We work in
one of the fastest paced industries in the world and it is
therefore essential that we hire young people with the skills,
ability and drive to become the future leaders of our business.
The NEA is a superb way to do just that and we are proud to be
supporting this great initiative. “
Geoff Russell, LSC Chief Executive, said:
“I am delighted that the National Enterprise Academy has passed
through the business planning stage to become the 12 th active
member of the National Skills Academy network. The network was
created to deliver world-class skills and the Academy’s vision to
establish the UK as a global leader in enterprise makes it an
exciting addition to those already established.”
Alex Pratt, OBE, SEEDA Board Member, commented:
“We’ve invested £2.3 million in the National Enterprise Academy
in Buckinghamshire to help get the Pathfinder going as we see the
NEA offering a new and exciting way of engaging young people in
the world of enterprise. We are delighted that the Learning and
Skills Council has endorsed the importance of instilling an
enterprise culture in our prospective young businessmen and women
through these new qualifications. There is a wealth of business
opportunities out there waiting to be grasped. “
Notes to Editors
1. Lord Mandelson and Peter Jones attended the launch of the
National Enterprise Academy at the London headquarters of Orange,
where they met the first intake of students.
2. Both qualifications will equip students with a sound
theoretical understanding of business planning, marketing,
accounting, financial planning and market research and will, more
importantly, capture the true essence of financial
entrepreneurialism. At level 2, students will hone their business
skills on live business challenges in established real-world
businesses. At level 3, students will take on the responsibility
for the day-to-day management of their own business. The shorter
BTEC level 2 will be integrated in to the additional special
leaning (ASL) modules of the diploma framework.
3. National Skills Academies are the gold standard for industry
training, aiming to improve productivity and tackle skills
shortages across England. Each National Skills Academy puts
employers at the heart of skills training for their sector: they
identify demand for future skills needs and ensure a responsive
supply of excellent education and training for their sector; they
ensure this is easily accessed by employers. It is managed by the
Learning and Skills Council working in partnership with the
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the UK Commission
for Employment and Skills, the Skills for Business Network, and
the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
4. The National Enterprise Academy is part of a national network
of 16 Skills Academies, (12 now active) which are driven by
business and delivering high-quality skills that business needs
across all the key sectors of the economy. Around 880,000 people
will be trained by the 16 National Skills Academies during their
first five years of operation, securing around £130m in employer
investment.
5. Those active are: Manufacturing, Construction, Financial
Services, Food and Drink Manufacturing, Nuclear, Process
Industries, Hospitality, Creative and Cultural Skills, Sport
& Active Leisure, Retail and Materials, Production
& Supply. National Skills Academies for Power, IT, Social
Care and Fashion, Textiles & Jewellery are still in
business planning.
6. SEEDA, the South East England Development Agency, is the
Government-funded agency responsible for the sustainable economic
development of the South East of England – the driving force of
the UK’s economy. Through supporting businesses, encouraging
innovation, developing skills and engaging with public and private
partners, we aim to create a successful, sustainable future for
the region.
Department for Business, Innovation & Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is
building a dynamic and competitive UK economy by: creating the
conditions for business success; promoting innovation, enterprise
and science; and giving everyone the skills and opportunities to
succeed. To achieve this it will foster world-class universities
and promote an open global economy. BIS - Investing in our future.
Contacts:
BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Mark Malbas
Phone: 020 7215 5303
Mark.Malbas@bis.gsi.gov.uk