Enterprise Newsletter Issue 1 Education

Welcome to the first edition of ’s new enterprise education newsletter.

This publication, produced by Contents page Cumbria County Council, is aimed 1 at raising awareness across primary, 1. Welcome to the newsletter secondary, further and higher 2. What is enterprise education? 2 education about local and national 3. Leaders from Primary, Secondary, 6th Form, FE, HE on the enterprise projects, useful resources, 3 importance of enterprise education. events, competitions and showcases 4. Examples of enterprise activities to get involved in; enterprise education work being 5 carried out across the county. • Giving Nation Challenge - for secondary schools • Free tickets and travel expenses paid for one primary and secondary 7 school to attend the Centres of Excellence in Financial Education This newsletter aims to act as a Conference in London regular reminder of why enterprise • List of financial capability websites, resources and providers available 7 education is important to encourage for Primary, Secondary, FE and HE. more extensive involvement in • 15 Cumbrian schools / 6th Form colleges have the opportunity to 8 enterprise education across all participate in the Achievers International programme - free for a year. phases of education in Cumbria. • Global Entrepreneurship Week 18-24 November 2013. (Primary / 8 Secondary / FE /HE) • National Secondary Enterprise Education Conference at The 9 Department for Business Innovation and Skills • FE / HE Enterprise Society deadlines for the Varsity Pitch Competition 9 and Innovation Funding. 5. Recent Reports / Government Announcements 9 • Ofsted – Going in the right direction? Careers guidance in schools • Careers Guidance Action Plan - • Thematic review and National Careers Council’s report. • Matthew Hancock’s Inspiration Vision announced 6. Success Stories • Furness Education & Skills Partnership (FESP) gains local and 10 national recognition • Inspiring Enterprise - Women in business event 11 • Cumbria – The only county to have four schools acknowledged at 11 HM Treasury for their work on enterprise as part of the Giving Nation If you have enterprise updates or Challenge. success stories for future editions • All five Cumbrian FE Colleges and The University of Cumbria accepted 12 contact Cumbria County Council’s to develop enterprise societies Enterprise Education Officer, Julia • Carlisle has scooped an award for being Start-Up Britain’s ‘2013 top 13 town’ following the nationwide tour’s visit to Cumbria. on Winder Julia.winder@ • Schools register for national Tycoon in Schools competition. 13 cumbria.gov.uk

Serving the people of Cumbria cumbria.gov.uk Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

What is enterprise Why is enterprise education important? education? The core principle of enterprise education is to ensure young people are well equipped Enterprise education is ‘enterprise capability supported to face the challenges of the world of work by financial capability and business and economic and entrepreneurship, resulting in a positive understanding.’ outcome for individuals, communities and the Enterprise education is about learning: economy.

• Through work (work experience, mini enterprise projects, Ofsted report that pupils are motivated by visits to employers, simulations / role plays, case studies, enterprise learning and enjoy being given the work related problem solving. autonomy to tackle relevant problems, take • For work (developing the skills needed to be enterprising responsibility for their own actions, engage in and employable.) real issues and evaluate the outcomes of their • About work (develop knowledge and understanding of decisions. work and enterprise.) Employers need young people to have the Enterprise learning is not a specific subject, and where right knowledge, skills and attributes and our enterprise education is most successful is where it is economy and society will also benefit from embedded and woven and into all aspects of education. a workforce that is self-starting, confident and able to apply what they have learned Examples of enterprise skills, knowledge and attributes in the classroom to their work, family or the community. • Coming up with new ideas • Innovation and Creativity With the idea of a job for life disappearing, • Working to and meeting Deadlines many young people may also be faced with having to create their own jobs. Enterprise • Teamwork education can support young people in • Leadership starting new businesses, social enterprises, or • Adapting to change becoming enterprising employees. Enterprise • Goal Setting also contributes to business growth, to the • Competitive regeneration of communities, and to building • Spotting new opportunities the skills and confidence of individuals to seek • Have a Can-Do attitude opportunities to create wealth and achieve social impact. • Negotiation and influencing • Decision making • New businesses boost our economy. • Self Motivation • Social entrepreneurship can enrich • Problem solving communities. • Enterprising employees revitalise • Effective communication skills organisations and drive business growth. • Presentation Skills • Having a can-do attitude and the skills to • Research skills spot opportunities and implement ideas • Good at planning ahead benefits every one of us. • Risk Taking and risk management In order to support more young people to make • Self Reliance and Initiative a successful transition into the workplace and • Good at budgeting, financial planning contribute to the creation of a sustainable, and managing money vibrant, local economy, we need to increase the • Good Business and economic focus on skills and employability and develop understanding a culture of enterprise in our young people, supported by the skills and aspirations needed to create and grow new businesses in key sectors during the recession and beyond.

2 Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

Leaders from primary, secondary, FE and HE from the county share the importance of embedding Enterprise Education into the curriculum...

Primary

“Our work in enterprise began as we focused, on raising the aspiration of our pupils. We took part in activities which involved the children in projects using seed funding to make profit, work with businesses and work on live briefs from businesses. The impact of this approach had such an impact on learner engagement and the quality of attainment that we began to increase enterprise activities within our curriculum, develop further links with local businesses and shape a locality driven, skills based curriculum. Wherever possible, pupils’ learning is now set within a real and purposeful context and links between learning in school and futures are made. Our children have designed and produced products that are being sold in local shops, they have presented to senior managers in the boardroom at BAE Systems and have taken part in master classes for new businesses. Our children are fired up about learning, they are excited about their futures and our teachers are inspires by an enhanced, inspirational curriculum.” Caroline Vernon Headteacher of Victoria Junior School, Barrow

Secondary “Kirkbie is one of the few schools in the county to have received the National Standard in Enterprise Education. Student engagement in enterprise runs through the curriculum with enterprise projects in all subject areas, as well as additional projects such as enterprise days, business and enterprise competitions, work experience, enterprise and careers days. We also provide students with the opportunity to take part in extra-curricular activities such as enterprise residentials, Young Enterprise and Young Chamber. I believe embedding enterprise education into the curriculum and related activity is essential to prepare young people for our future economy.” Gemma McMullen, Deputy Headteacher at

3 Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

Sixth Form “Many of our students want to gain experience in the workplace while studying in sixth form. To meet this need we have recently introduced a “specialist” pathway where students can combine studying for relevant Level 3 qualifications whilst undertaking a high quality work experience placement. One of these specialist pathways includes our ‘Entrepreneurial’ pathway. Here students study BTEC Business, BTEC ICT and complete the Young Enterprise programme. They also undertake a work placement that includes the guidance of a professional mentor. Students are encouraged to develop their business plans and receive guidance about funding streams and start up agencies, many of which were discovered at the countywide enterprise education meetings. We are really hoping to grow this pathway over the next year and hope to see our first students completing their studies in 2015. To help promote entrepreneurship across the sixth form, we encouraged our students to attend the Start-up Britain tour that visited Carlisle over the summer. All of our students in the sixth form are able to take part in the Young Enterprise program which is always heavily oversubscribed. We hope that by providing lots of different enterprise opportunities we will inspire them and hopefully produce some new young entrepreneurs in the county.” Andrew Runciman, Assistant Headteacher, Trinity Sixth Form

Higher Education Further Education College “The University Of Cumbria “Enterprise is built in to the DNA of Further Education aims to support socio- Colleges in Cumbria. In many colleges there are real work economic regeneration environments where students offer a service or a product to in Cumbria, encouraging paying public customers, such as in training restaurants or and supporting business salons. This means students really do have a head start in collaboration, increasing aspirations the industry. By researching the market, preparing business of our students and graduates plans and coming up with innovative new products, they are through business support, building the habits of enterprise and entrepreneurship. entrepreneurship, increased opportunities and embedding Even where the public are not coming in as customers, enterprise into the curriculum. We project and community based activities ensure that all have provided support for students students develop these skills. In my college for example ‘A’ who want to either start up their level students took an important role in supporting the student own business or who want to council in researching, planning and organising a series of develop enterprising skills to assist student events across the college and the fundraising to them in their future make these happen. employment. In this Enterprise is not an exclusively college based activity. dynamic environment Students out on work placement with a vast range of we believe in giving employers are developing the attitudes and behaviours our students and employers want to see or universities looking for students graduates the best with that little bit extra on their CV in this competitive world.” opportunities”. Moira Tattersall – Principal - Carlisle College Peter Strike – Vice Chancellor – The University of Cumbria

4 Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

Examples of enterprise opportunities to get involved in Giving Nation Challenge

• Giving Nation Challenge – secondary schools (embed social enterprise in the curriculum with free resources and a £450 grant from Citizenship Foundation for students to develop a social enterprise.)

• Free tickets and travel expenses paid for one primary and secondary school to attend the Centres of Excellence in Financial Education Conference in London. Ullswater Community College • With financial capability being a priority area identified within CCC’s anti-poverty Opportunity for more Secondary Schools strategy and financial capability now featuring on the new primary and to participate in this year’s Giving Nation secondary curriculum, we have created a Challenge and receive a £450 grant list of useful financial capability websites, resources and providers available for Primary, Secondary, FE and HE. The Giving Nation Challenge, run in Cumbria in partnership between The Citizenship Foundation and Cumbria County Council’s Children’s • 15 Cumbrian schools / 6th Form Colleges Services Directorate, has been a huge success to date, with three have the opportunity to participate in the Cumbrian secondary schools already awarded for their work Achievers International programme - free nationally at HM Treasury. for a year. Now, , a newcomer to the programme last year, is to • Education encouraged to get involved in be acknowledged at the Treasury this October, making Cumbria the Global Entrepreneurship Week 18-24th only county to have achieved this level of recognition so far. November 2013. (Primary / Secondary / FE /HE). What is the Giving Nation challenge? • National Secondary Enterprise Education Conference at The Department for As part of the Giving Nation Challenge, students work in teams Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) on to identify an issue within their community then set up a social the 26th November. enterprise to meet that need. Each school that participates in the challenge has access to free resources, and £450 sustainable grant. • FE / HE Enterprise Society deadlines for the Varsity Pitch Competition and Training can also be provided to interested schools on request. Innovation Funding. The challenge can be embedded into the curriculum and run across a whole year group. The programme is aimed at K23 and KS4 students. The majority of Cumbrian schools that are participating in the challenge tend to run it with either year 8 or year 9 students.

The £450 grant is used as start up capital to enable students to get their ideas off the ground and the challenge is then run internally in each school. Students are required to ensure that the business model for their social enterprise generates sufficient income so that the project can be sustainable. Each school that takes part in the challenge sends a winning team to represent their school in the Cumbria final where they present their ideas to a panel of judges to compete for a regional trophy. The Citizenship Foundation also run a national competition each year where they select the best student groups from across the country to attend the national final at HM Treasury.

5 Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

Why is it run? What did students say about the challenge? The aim of the challenge is to help young people become enterprising and develop the essential skills needed for their “From taking part in the Giving Nation future, whether they go on to set up their own business or become Challenge I now have greater confidence enterprising employees. The Challenge puts learning into a real life and I have developed my knowledge of context which enables young people to become more motivated and business and enterprise. I really enjoyed develop a can-do attitude by enabling them to turn their ideas for a making our products and selling them at social enterprise into a reality and benefit their community. different venues”

Through the Challenge students have the opportunity to develop a “We have got better at managing money whole host of skills such as; teamwork, leadership, budgeting and and keeping our finances straight” money management, project management, innovation and creativity, “We have developed team work skills and communication and presentation skills, problem solving, meeting deadlines, are now more organised.” identifying opportunities, developing a business understanding, “I’ve gained more confidence carrying out market research and adapting to change. form taking part.” The successful mentor pilot “It puts all your skills together and helps you work as a proper team.” In the last academic year, Cumbria County Council worked in partnership with Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership to pilot a new What did teachers say about mentor scheme with schools involved in the challenge. This proved the challenge? a big success with pupils, teachers and mentors involved and we are currently in the process of trying to expand this element of the “The best part of running this challenge challenge to meet more schools involved. is the active learning, which is what Krysia Pantechis from Kendal-based KPI Solutions Ltd, who citizenship is all about. More students are mentored pupils from this year, said: now opting for GCSE Citizenship, as a “Seeing the interest from the students and the enthusiasm of the result the project has helped to raise the teachers for the project was great and a rewarding experience to be profile.”Debbie O’ Connor - part of. It’s also good that the Challenge promotes self-employment and entrepreneurship as viable alternatives to more traditional career paths and I’d encourage other local business people to get involved.” “The best part of running the challenge has been seeing the pupils work together Nick Wilson, a teacher at Whitehaven School, said: “Having a so they can make a difference to mentor provided links to local businesses, brought real life content something that they care about in their to the classroom and showed how social enterprises can have an impact on communities.” own community. We have also seen an increase in students’ confidence, especially when making presentations. The students have also benefited by being able to talk to someone from a real social enterprise and seeing how social enterprise has benefited the local community.” Sharon Ralph - St Bernard’s Catholic High School

How can my secondary school get involved?

For further information how to get involved contact Cumbria County Council’s Enterprise Education Officer, Julia Winder on T: 01229 Queen Katherine School 407556 E: [email protected]

6 Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

Spotlight on: Embedding Financial Capability List of useful Financial Capability websites, recources and providers for Primary / Secondary/Fe/He

Financial capability is a priority area identified within Cumbria County Council’s anti-poverty strategy now also features in the new national curriculum for for Primary and Secondary in Mathematics, Citizenship and PSHE. The purpose of financial capability in the newly proposed curriculum is to “prepare pupils with the skills and knowledge to manage their money well and make sound financial decisions.

In response to this and the need to embed financial capability across all educational phases to help to reduce poverty and better prepare young people with budgeting, financial planning, money management, avoiding debt and becoming confident, critical, savvy consumers we have created a list of useful financial capability websites, resources, competitions and providers available for Primary, Secondary, FE and HE please click here.

If you have developed any useful financial capability resources that have been successfully embedded in your school/ college/ university and would like to share these with others in the next newsletter, please get in touch. [email protected]

Free tickets to Centres of Excellence in Financial Education Conference in London

Two Cumbrian schools (one primary, one secondary) are getting the chance to attend a financial capability conference in London featuring money-saving expert Martin Lewis.

The Personal Finance Education Group (PFEG) is offering Cumbria two free places at the Centres of Excellence in Financial Education conference on 6 November and will cover travel expenses for the trip to the capital.

The conference takes place between 10.30am and 4pm on London’s South Bank and guest speakers will include Martin Lewis and Tracey Bleakley, the PFEG chief executive.

The conference is the ideal forum for schools to explore, learn and share what works best in financial education. Schools will have the opportunity to see work showcased from schools nationally that are currently involved in PFEG’s Centres of Excellence programme, attend best practice workshops, visit a resource share zone, attend a networking lunch and the Centres of Excellence Awards ceremony.

Attendance at the conference is by invitation only and with only one two places available for Cumbria (one primary, one secondary) it will be the first two schools that respond by e-mail [email protected] by 16 October 2013 with a short blurb about why their school should be chosen to attend.

The two attending schools at the conference will be required to share their findings from the conference through the next edition of the enterprise education newsletter.

7 Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

Education encouraged to engage in Global Entreprenurship Week 18-24 November 2013

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is the world’s biggest campaign to promote entrepreneurship, and this year it is running between 18 – 24 November. The UK campaign creates a national platform for thousands of schools, colleges and 15 Cumbrian Schools / 6th Form Colleges universities to promote and celebrate enterprise have the opportunity to participate in and entrepreneurship. This year’s theme is ‘take a step forward’ and GEW are encouraging education the Achievers International Programme – establishments nationwide to take a step forward Free for a year and run an event to build enterprise skills and enterprise awareness for a new generation going on to further education, employment , self-employment Achievers International is offering 15 Cumbrian schools / 6th / entrepreneurship. form colleges the opportunity to participate in the Achievers International programme for free this academic year. Last year more than 83,000 young people took part in over 600 events organised by thousands of Achievers International is an internet based enterprise project schools, colleges and universities across the UK. run by The Enterprise Education Trust, during which a group of This year GEW would love you to join them and students aged 11-19 and their teacher form a company. They take advantage of the campaign’s ever-growing are then partnered with a similar group in another country and prominence. Schools, colleges and universities import and export with each other to try to make a profit. remain one of the core elements of GEW and we want to see thousands of young people making, The project is extremely flexible and can be integrated into baking, designing, planning, presenting and selling a variety of lessons such as Modern Foreign Languages, during the campaign. Ideas you could use include Business Studies, Information Technology, Economics and enterprise lessons, finding a local entrepreneur to Citizenship, or run as an extra-curricular activity. give a talk, running an entrepreneurial challenge day or students setting up their own business! You Once schools / 6th forms join the programme, Achievers can also find more ideas and further information provides them with a foreign partner school or they can use on the GEW website www.gew.org.uk, use their an existing international link. They also get full access to the step by step guide to personalise your own event training materials online and support from the Achievers team. and download free posters and flyers to promote your activities and events.

Achievers International is designed to not only teach students If you’d like more information on how your school, more about business and world trade, but also to create college or university could to get involved please enterprising individuals. It develops a variety of personal skills e-mail Global Entrepreneurship Week at such as literacy and numeracy, team working, oral and written [email protected]. communication, IT skills, problem solving, creative thinking and foreign languages. If you would like your plans for enterprise week to be featured in the next Enterprise Education Over 30,000 students worldwide have already benefited from newsletter please contact: the Programme. From South Africa to Sweden, Australia to [email protected] America, student companies from all five continents have traded successfully.

If your school /6th Form would like to benefit for this free opportunity you will need to contact Kevin Vagan at Acheivers International T: 0207 261 4502 E: kvagan@enterprise- education.org.uk and register online by the 31 October 2013.

For further information about the Achievers International programme, please click here for PowerPoint or look on the Achievers International website www.achieversinternational. org

8 Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

FE / HE Enterprise Society deadlines for the Varsity Pitch Competition and Innovation Funding National Secondary Varsity Pitch closing date for entries - 14 October 2013 Enterprise Education The Varsity Pitch Competition is the UK’s premiere pitching competition for student and graduate entrepreneurs. The competition is a national Conference – business plan and pitching competition that celebrates the best ideas coming out of colleges and universities across the UK. The winners of 26 November 2013 seven industry heats come together at the grand final on November 22nd 2013 at The Britsh Library to compete for a £10,000 cash prize. For further information on how to enter visit : www.varsitypitchcompetition.com

Innovation Funding for Enterprise Societies Closing Date for Entries – 31 October 2013 The Innovation Fund is an awards scheme of grants available to student-led enterprise groups in 2013/14. The grants can be used to help colleges / universities launch or grow their enterprise societies, to provide capital to help get enterprise society businesses started or to enable student societies to offer a range of practical activities The next National Secondary Enterprise for their members to develop enterprise skills. NACUE provide 50% of Education Conference is to be held the Innovation funding needed through the Innovation fund and grants of at The Department for Business between £1,000 and £8,000 are available. Innovation and Skills (BIS) in London on 26 November. The conference will be introducing the new Business in Every School’ initiative. Schools, colleges and enterprise organisations will be hosting a wide range of workshops, sharing ideas Universities and providing examples of successful There are three categories to choose from depending on your society and projects and approaches to developing aims for the project. and sustaining enterprise education. • Start-up Award – £1,000 - To launch or re-launch your enterprise society. For further information click here for the • Advance Award – £3,000 – To develop or launch exciting new projects conference flyer. in your society. These projects should start to bring in an income for your society. A 2-page business plan will need to be submitted. • New Heights Award – £8,000 - An investment into large-scale businesses, e.g. seed accelerator or society incubator. A six page business plan will need to be submitted and all applicants must attend a live pitching day on the 20th November with the results announced on the day. FE Colleges There are fourcategories to choose from depending on your circumstance and aims for the project. • Start-up Award – £1,000 - To launch or re-launch your enterprise society. • Kickstarter Award – £2,000 - To deliver a structured and sustainable programme of events to build awareness of enterprise in college, or to develop the enterprising culture and mindset of society members. NOTE: A business plan is not required for this grant • Advance Award – £3,000 - To run practical projects and develop the enterprise and entrepreneurial skills of society members. A two-page business plan will need to be submitted. • New Heights Award – £5,000 - To launch a society business – generating sales and providing income for the enterprise society. A six-page business plan will need to be submitted and all applicants must attend a live pitching day on the 20th November with the results announced on the day. *NB All applications (for both FE and HE) will require you to submit a video and fill in a form, along with any additional requirements. For further information on how to apply visit www.thewall.nacue.com

Recent Reports / Government Announcements The links below have been provided by The Department for Business Innovation and Skills in the Enterprise Education Expert Group September update)

• Ofsted – Going in the right direction? Careers guidance in schools 10th September 2013 • Careers Guidance Action Plan - Government Response to Recommendations from Ofsted’s Thematic review and National Careers Council’s Report. • Matthew Hancock’s Inspiration Vision announced 10 September 2013 9 Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

Success Stories

Furness Education and Skills Partnership gains local and national recognition

The Furness Education & Skills Partnership (FESP) has recently been nominated for a CN Group Golden Apples award and invited to share their successful work between education and business at the House of Commons by the North West Business Leadership Team.

FESP has now been running for over two years with the intention of bringing primary, secondary and FE closer together with local businesses in the Furness area. Core members of the FESP group currently include Victoria Junior school, Greengate Infants, Barrow Island Primary, , Furness , Barrow 6th Form College, Furness College, BAE Systems, Siemens subsea, Tritech, Vattenfall, Glaxo SmithKline, Barrow Engineering Project, Centrica, Stem Cumbria Ltd and Cumbria County Council. The work of FESP has also reached out to more schools beyond core membership, and more recently this academic year to new businesses in different sectors through the group’s project and subgroup work.

FESP has focused its energy on designing and seeking to offer “purposeful learning” to all young people in local schools and colleges. This kind of learning (putting learning in a “real” context) seeks to forge and sustain strong and mutually productive links between the world of work and the school curriculum with the goal of increasing learners’ engagement and helping to raise attainment. To this end, FESP education and business representatives continue to develop co-constructed projects linked to the work of Furness businesses. Within these projects the focus has been placed not only on subject content but also on a list of transferable skills identified and agreed by the FESP core businesses as those often particularly lacking in school leavers and young people attending for interview, all of which are identified in the Enterprise Education skills identified earlier in this newsletter.

FESP sees every teacher, from the early years of primary upwards, as a careers teacher and, therefore, it inaugurated a series of visits to local businesses by teaching staff from all three education sectors in November 2011. These visits were repeated in the 2012/2013 academic year and FESP companies have already committed to a third round of visits in 2013/2014. The visits have given local companies the opportunity to showcase what they currently do and to highlight potential career paths. All the visits have been enormously informative, as evidenced by many positive comments from attending teachers who have forged strong links with the business.

10 Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

Cumbria – The only county to have four schools acknowledged at HM Treasury for their work on Enterprise as part of the Giving Nation Challenge Young entrepreneurs from a Cumbrian school will be heading to Whitehall to pick up a prize at the Treasury. Four Keswick School pupils have scooped the Social Enterprise award at the Giving Nation Social Action Awards ceremony for their business idea of making t-shirts and bracelets to sell in local shops. Anna Shenton, Anna Bergerud, Anna Hollinshead and Xanthe Sparke, who are all in year nine, will be collecting their award from Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society in London on 17 October. The group’s business idea has pulled in hundreds of pounds of profits, some of which has been reinvested Inspiring Enterprise - in the social enterprise and some donated to the Eden Women in Business event Valley Hospice. The Giving Nation Challenge is a social enterprise Year 9 secondary school pupils have been getting programme run with secondary schools in Cumbria hints, tips and advice on forging successful business in partnership between Cumbria County Council’s careers from Cumbria’s businesswomen. Children’s Services and the Citizenship Foundation. For the first time, all three schools shortlisted for the The RBS Enterprising Futures – Skills for Working national Social Enterprise award were from Cumbria – Life event was hosted by this Keswick, The Queen Katherine and Sandgate School. summer and saw female year nine students This is the fourth time a Cumbrian school has been from Kirkbie Kendal, Dallam and The Queen acknowledged at the Treasury for this work – making it Katherine School invited to network with a variety the only county to have received this level of recognition. of businesswomen including Sarah Forsyth, the proprietor of Sarah Forsyth Sales Marketing Liz Swainson, Head of Citizenship, at Keswnick School, Services, Kathleen Newson the chief executive said: “It is the first time Keswick School has entered the of Young Cumbria and Cumbria County Council’s competition and we are thrilled to have been chosen to Enterprise Education Officer Julia Winder. go to the Treasury to talk about our experiences.

Managed by Young Enterprise in partnership with “All the Year 8 students participated and the four girls Kendal College, the event consisted of a speed who were chosen by the Headmaster to represent networking carousel where students were able to school in the Cumbria final are going to continue with ask the businesswomen about their career paths, their enterprise venture this year. Since the competition the choices they made and their journey to being they attended the Start Up Britain day which was held successful. The students were put into groups and during the summer holidays in Carlisle, where they made decided their own questions for each business some useful business contacts. I would recommend the woman. venture to any schools who have not yet participated in the scheme.” Rob Blyth, head of enterprise at , said: “It’s important for young women to see other Keswick School young women across the local schools with the same aspirations as themselves. The women speakers were inspirational and it is essential to set aspirations of our young women and offset gender stereotyping.”

“It is crucial that our young women of the future meet inspirational role models and hear their stories.” Gemma McMullen Kirkbie Kendal School

“This was a great introduction into the business world for a really impressive group of young women!” Annie Rawlinson, Managing Director of NJO Technology Ltd 11 Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

All five Cumbrian FE Colleges and the University of Cumbria accepted to develop enterprise societies Cumbria is currently the only county to have all five FE colleges and the University of Cumbria accepted to develop enterprise societies. The Enterprise Society programme is funded by The Department for Business Innovation and skills and managed by The National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs (NACUE).

Enterprise Societies provide students in FE and HE with the opportunity to also take ownership for driving and shaping the enterprise agenda within their own institution. On 2 September 2013 Cumbrian Further Education colleges benefited from free enterprise society training from The National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs (NACUE), organised in partnership with Cumbria County Council’s Enterprise Education Officer, hosted by Newton Rigg College. The afternoon gave FE colleges the chance to find out more about what an enterprise society is, how to develop one, what funding, support and opportunities are currently available for student led enterprise societies and examples of best practice.

Students involved in societies will have the opportunity to enter national competitions, apply for grants to develop their society, access funding to develop enterprise society projects and submit plans for grants to develop sustainable businesses. The largest national enterprise society competition that students can enter is called the Varsity pitch where students can win up to £10,000.

The plan is for colleges and universities involved to be part of the growing NACUE network to empower and develop the entrepreneurial capacity of students, improve their employability skills and launch business ventures.

NACUE’s annual events cycle aims to connect students involved in societies into a national network, develop sustainable societies at their bootcamps, and kickstart their business potential at their Student Enterprise Conference and Varsity Pitch Competition which celebrates and rewards the UK’s brightest young entrepreneurs. Cumbria’s Further Education colleges and The University of Cumbria are now in the process of developing their student-led Enterprise Societies.

The University of Cumbria is currently working to develop a student enterprise society across four campuses (Ambleside, Carlisle, Lancaster and London.) There are plans to have one student enterprise president covering all four campuses and one vice president at each of the other campuses. The University are now in the process of launching the concept of a society with students to enable them to start to plan and develop enterprise activities, events and start-up activities.

12 Cumbria County Council Enterprise Education • 2013

Carlisle wins Start-Up Britain Award

Schools Register for National Tycoon in Schools Competition

Three Cumbrian schools have registered to become part of a national competition to help Britain produce 11-18 year old business tycoons of the future. Cockermouth, Carlisle has scooped an award for being Start-Up Britain’s Whitehaven and Ulverston Victoria High School ‘2013 top town’ following the nationwide tour’s visit to are among around 250 schools competing Cumbria. nationally. The tour, which offers free help and business advice to budding Spearheaded by Dragons’ Den entrepreneur entrepreneurs has taken place annually since 2011, visited Peter Jones CBE, the competition, now in its Carlisle for the first time on 31 July – one of 32 towns and cities second year, has received backing from the selected across the UK following the joint application by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, University of Cumbria, Carlisle College, Cumbria County Council, with a funding injection of £50,000 to help roll Cumbria Chamber of Commerce and Carlisle City Council to bring out the competition and encourage more school the start-up bus to the county. children across England to take part.

People of all ages interested in starting up their own businesses The competition challenges school children to were able to climb on board the start-up bus, parked up in the city start a business and make as much profit as centre outside House of Fraser. they can within four weeks of trading, for the Practical and interactive workshops led by business experts were chance to be crowned the Tycoon in Schools available throughout the day including workshops on ‘making that Overall Competition Winner. The competition perfect pitch’, ‘accessing funding for training’ and ‘writing a press grants a start-up loan to hundreds of students release’. In addition to receiving useful tips and advice, people aged between 11-18 years to encourage and were also able to apply for a StartUp Loan and learn more about inspire them to start a business whilst at school Government initiatives and funding for small businesses. thereby placing enterprise at the heart of the education system in England. The campaign leading up to the big day saw schools, 6th forms, The schools that have registered for this Carlisle College and the University of Cumbria raising awareness year’s competition will now need to submit with students about the opportunity through assemblies, careers their business plans to Tycoon in Schools by talks, notice boards, posters, and online etc and a joint press the 8 October 2013 for Peter Jones CBE and campaign was launched with the general public to generate wider his judging panel to decide which schools awareness with the local community. will receive the £1,000 start-up loan. The successful teams that progress to the next Year 8 students from Keswick School which were jointly crowned stage of the competition will be informed Cumbria’s Giving Nation Final winners were also present at the during the week commencing the 14 October event to showcase their business. The students not only found and then start up their businesses and trade the event to be a beneficial opportunity, but they also inspired a for a period of four weeks during November. number of visitors at the event to see that business start-up is Following the end of trading, final evaluation achievable at any age. reports for each team will need to be submitted by the 9 December. All teams will be judged on “I think the most useful thing about coming to the bus was getting innovation, performance and profits. The overall facts and help from other businesses and start up mentors” Anna competition winner and four special award Bergerud - Year 8 student Keswick School. winners will be announced in January 2014.

“I have learnt most about financing and tax which is important to Although the deadline for applications has know about in a business.” Anna Hollinshead - Year 8 student now closed for this year, if you would like Keswick School. further information about how your school can get involved next academic year please “Following this event we plan to continue to improve our business contact the Tycoon in Schools team; E-mail: by using the contacts we have been given and also the facts we tycooninschools@pjfoundation Website: have learnt from the workshops on the bus and from meeting www.tycooninschools.com people.” Xamthe Sparke - Year 8 student Keswick School. 13