Project: Launch Pad Programme
Grant: £4,750
Fund: General Fund
Young Enterprise work directly with young people, teachers, parents, businesses and influencers to help build a successful and sustainable future for all young people and society at large, having recognised that a high percentage of young people are not in education or employment, and many leave school without the skills they need to succeed in the real world.
The Launch Pad programme was delivered over two days to two different year groups at the Chiltern Hills Academy, who directly contacted Young Enterprise having previously worked with them. The school has a high proportion of students supported by Pupil Premium and had identified a number of barriers to learning for their students; these included: low self-esteem, lack of aspiration, limited or no positive role model, and lack of parent support.
During the programme, the students worked alongside business volunteers who supported them to discover more about themselves and explore key skills which are valued in the workplace. Through a series of hands on, fun activities the students worked in teams on the early stages of launching a fledgling business, balancing a budget as well as creating a brand identity and marketing strategy. Students learnt about their personal strengths and preferences, the importance of teamwork and also learnt more about different roles that contribute to running a business. They used enterprising skills to solve a business challenge, learnt how to showcase skills to employers and gained a broader understanding of the world of work through engagement with business volunteers. In addition, they developed an understanding of creating budgets (financial mathematics in a real life context), how to use information to plan and present to audiences, and gained self-awareness by recognising their personal strengths and weaknesses.
Following the programme, the students set up and ran their own student company, making all the decisions about the business, from deciding on the company name and product, to managing the company finances. Students promoted and sold to the public through pop up shops and online.
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