Young Enterprise is a national education charity founded in the UK in 1963 and operated in Guernsey since 1982. Its purpose is to forge links between schools and industry, and its mission is to inspire and equip young people to learn and succeed through enterprise. Local year 10&11 students (or Achievers as YE knows them) from 12 island schools take part in Young Enterprise, with over 100 participating each year. They are guided by volunteer business advisers, who give up their own time to help mentor and guide the Achievers. All of this would not be possible without the support of our many sponsors.
We believe in ”learning by doing’
Young Enterprise’s mission statement is “to inspire and equip young people to learn and succeed through enterprise.” Its guiding principle is to do this through ‘learning by doing.’ Students run their own real companies for a year with help from business mentors. Many of the scheme’s alumni have gone on to outstanding business success.
We campaign for young people’s empowerment
Young Enterprise argues that an excessively narrow focus on academic skills and exams risks sidelining other approaches to learning and can fail to give young people the employability skills they need – such as teamwork, practical thinking, punctuality and businesslike behaviour – to succeed in the world of work.
How do we know Young Enterprise programmes work?
In 2008 we asked research company Fresh Minds to evaluate the impact our programmes had on the lives of Young Enterprise alumni.
Here are the headlines
- Participation in the Young Enterprise Company Programme correlates with better future earnings
- In particular in the 30+ age group alumni earn a third more than their peers.
- Young Enterprise Company Programme alumni are twice as likely to start their own business as their peers.
- Alumni had a greater appreciation of their skills and the opportunities available to them on leaving school.
- The YE alumni are more passionate about their jobs than their peers with 77% of alumni fulfilled and engaged by their jobs, compared to only 59% of the Control Group.
- YE alumni are more successful in their careers than their non-participating counterparts (even when taking into account family affluence).
- YE alumni are more likely to get involved in voluntary work (55% compared with 39% for the Control Group).
- Amongst business-owning alumni, Young Enterprise was ranked as the most significant experience they drew upon when establishing and building their venture.
- Overall, YE alumni felt that Young Enterprise contributed to their skill development more than anything else, including work experience, extra-curricular activities and school.
