Funding for enterprise education announced by First Minister
The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, announced a £300 000 funding for entrepreneurial learning and enterprise education at the opening of the RBS entrepreneurial hub at the bank’s Gogarburn headquarters.
The money for Scotland’s Enterprising Schools will go towards
helping teachers unleash the entrepreneurial and creative skills shown by pupils by setting up a team to work with schools and local authorities to provide resources and lesson plans.
The programme aligns closely to Developing the Young Workforce which offers huge potential for children and young people to access entrepreneurial and enterprise opportunities as part of their learning. It supports the aims of the Scotland CAN DO Strategy to inspire and motivate our next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. Education Scotland are working closely with Young Enterprise Scotland and the Scotland’s Enterprising Schools team to align activities across the range of DYW developments. This includes, for example, taking account of guidance and standards published in September 2015 on school/employer partnerships, work placements and careers education from ages 3 to 18 and the key aims of equality in DYW by encouraging diversity in the workplace and ensuring career choices are not stereotyped by gender.
Links will also be made with private partners to work with pupils to further enhance promising ideas. More than 80 schools are already benefitting from the initiative which is part of Scotland CAN DO, which is the framework used by the Scottish Government to move towards becoming a world leading and entrepreneurial and innovative nation.
The First Minister said:
“Scotland’s young people are this nation’s future, and we must do all we can to give them the chance to thrive and be the best they can be.
“Our schools, colleges and universities are key players in nurturing our young people and making them aware of their possibilities, be that as a mechanic, a scientist, a sports star or successful business men and women.
“This £300,000 will give our children the belief that they CAN DO and that enterprise can be a valid and viable choice for all. The ‘Scotland’s Enterprising Schools’ platform will help them to learn and build on this and open up their entrepreneurial potential.
“2016 is the Year of Design, Architecture and Innovation, and promoting innovation is an incredibly powerful way of creating a sustainably prosperous society and helping Scotland achieve its full economic potential through growth and job creation.”
Background
Facilitated by Education Scotland and delivered through Young Enterprise Scotland; the ‘Scotland’s Enterprising Schools’ team will engage with schools, local authorities and partners to share examples of good work and best practice across the country.
