Category Archives: News

Vacancy: Part-time Programme Manager


Programme Manager (0.5)

Location: Glasgow City Centre
£30,000 per annum pro-rata
Part-time 20 hours per week until the end of March 2017
Immediate start

Scotland’s Enterprising Schools is a government funded project bringing together a number of relevant partners.  The project’s vision is to empower young people through an educational system that has entrepreneurship and innovation at its core, allowing them to fulfil their potential, make the most of opportunities and be motivated to be the best that they can be.

Our mission is to contribute to this change by supporting education practitioners to make their learning more enterprising and entrepreneurial through CPD and through exposing young people to new ideas and experiential learning that builds confidence, improves self-esteem and helps them develop skills for learning, life and work.

The programme now requires a Programme Manager, on a part-time basis, to help further develop Scotland’s Enterprising Schools.  SES is an online resource which has been introduced to give schools, both primary and secondary, easily accessible resources to help support a whole school approach to enterprise and entrepreneurial thinking.

Within this role the successful candidate will assist the Head of Scotland’s Enterprising Schools to implement the project plan for the coming year.

Duties will include:

  • Deputising for the Head of SES
  • Assisting in the development and delivery of staff development sessions at cross boundary local authority events
  • Delivering presentations to relevant groups including schools and local authorities.
  • Collaborating with colleagues at Education Scotland in the development of online resources and curriculum mapping
  • Raising awareness of SES with schools, teachers, parents, pupils and local authorities
  • Promoting membership of the Scotland’s Enterprising Schools Professional Learning Community for teachers
  • Seeking inspiring case studies from schools to showcase on the SES website
  • Implementing a review of SES by using surveys and focus groups

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a degree in a relevant subject and hold a teaching qualification.  They will also have recent experience working in the education sector and be familiar with Curriculum for Excellence, Developing the Young Workforce and Building the Curriculum 4.  You will have strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with a range of partners within tight deadlines.  You will be driven, motivated and able to use your own initiative as well as working well as part of a team.

Application

Closing date for applications is Friday the 8th April 2016 at 5 pm.

Please submit a CV and covering letter highlighting how you would be suitable for this role to the Head of Scotland’s Enterprising Schools – Heather Hughes (heather.hughes@yes.org.uk).  All applications must be submitted by 5pm on the closing date.

First Minister speaks on small businesses and Scotland’s Enterprising Schools

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon addressed an audience of around 700 small business owners from the across the UK, telling them that “that Scotland will be the best place to do business anywhere in the UK”.

The First Minister used her speech to talk about how initiatives such as the Scottish Government’s Small Business Bonus Scheme, which has saved businesses around £1 billion since 2008.

The First Minister said:

“When this government came into office, we created the small business bonus. As a result almost 100,000 small business premises in Scotland now pay zero or reduced rates. In total, since 2008, the small business bonus scheme has saved businesses more than one billion pounds.”

The First Minister went on to address the need for a broader cultural change that allows Scotland to become an entrepreneurial nation, highlighting the importance of enterprise education. She said :

“We’re encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation in the school curriculum – for example through the Scotland’s Enterprising Schools initiative.”

The full speech can be read here.

Entrepreneurship Education at School in Europe

A new report has underlined the importance of the various methods through which Scotland has developed, promoted and implemented entrepreneurship education in its schools.

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The ‘Entrepreneurship Education at School in Europe – 2016 Edition’ by Eurydice highlights Scotland CAN DO, Education Scotland, Young Enterprise Scotland and Scotland’s Enterprising Schools, among others, for their work in developing an education system with entrepreneurship and innovation at its core, seizing the opportunities presented by Curriculum for Excellence and building on the ‘Developing the Young Workforce’ strategy.

The report opens: “Developing and promoting entrepreneurship education has been one of the key policy objectives of the EU institutions and Member States for many years. Indeed, in the context of high youth unemployment, economics crises and rapid changes related to our complex knowledge-based economy and society, transversal skills such as entrepreneurship are essential not only to shape the mindsets of young people, but also to provide the skills, knowledge and attitudes that are central to developing an entrepreneurial culture in Europe. However, although some countries have already been committed to fostering entrepreneurship education for more than a decade, others are just starting.”

Scotland is highlighted as one of these “fostering” nations, named as one of only four countries in Europe to “show a more structured approach to progression and comprehensiveness with respect to entrepreneurial learning outcomes.” Similarly, Scotland is commended for “pioneering the first specific entrepreneurship education strategies.”

The report also commends the ways in which Scotland brings entrepreneurial agendas, like Scotland CAN DO, together with the Curriculum for Excellence framework, saying: “This provides a strong basis for the inclusion of entrepreneurship education directly into education.”

The report then goes on to highlight Education Scotland for its work with third sector partners, led by Young Enterprise Scotland, in establishing the ‘Enterprising Schools Programme’ (which was subsequently launched as Scotland’s Enterprising Schools) to “provide Scottish case studies that aim to highlight the positive impact that developing entrepreneurial skills has had on the confidence and self-esteem of young people, and demonstrate the opportunities to develop these skills across the curriculum.” It goes on to reference the Scotland’s Enterprising Schools website (www.enterprisingschools.scot) for providing information on entrepreneurship and encouraging exchange of expertise through an online professional learning community. It says: “(Scotland’s Enterprising Schools) provides a platform for sharing good practice and makes resources available for teaching staff to support enterprise activity and encourage entrepreneurial thinking. It also encourages schools to develop a whole-school approach to enterprise and entrepreneurial thinking.”

For more, and to read the full reports, go to: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/eurydice/index.php/Publications:Entrepreneurship_Education_at_School_in_Europe_-_2016_Edition

School Ties: Transforming Small Business Engagement with Schools

The latest FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) report —  ‘School Ties: Transforming Small Business Engagement with Schools’ — reveals that it would be relatively easy to get more firms involved with their local secondary schools which could reduce youth unemployment and boost pay for young people.

The research suggests that thousands more smaller businesses could help young people prepare for life after education and suggests that it needs to be made easier for them to become involved.

The report states: “Closer working between schools and small businesses lies at the heart of efforts to reduce youth unemployment, equip young people for the world of work and create stronger vocational routes into work.”

This latest FSB report also indicates that pupils who have encountered four or more employers while at school, on average, are up to 20% less likely on average to be NEET (not in education, employment or training).

Furthermore, it states that school leaver’s pay levels are proportional to the number of engagements they have had with businesses while at school; each employer contact is worth an extra 4.5% in their pay packet.

The Scottish Inventors Challenge – Young Enterprise Scotland

In partnership with the Glasgow Employability and Skills team, Young Enterprise Scotland is currently delivering the Scottish Inventor’s Challenge to primary schools across Glasgow.

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In order to support the pupils’ transition to secondary school the events are being held in the local secondary schools where the primary school pupils will attend.  The fun activities help the pupils to feel valued and well prepared for the next stage of their education.

The Inventor’s Challenge is designed to bring Scottish inventors into the lives of learners in P5-P7. This is where the young people will design and create a futuristic new invention and present this back to their groups in the form of an advert and jingle.

During January, February and March of this year, around 40 Glasgow City Council Primary school pupils will have the opportunity to develop their enterprise and entrepreneurial skills through a Scottish Inventor’s Challenge facilitated and delivered by Young Enterprise Scotland.

Aileen MacKinnon Headteacher of St. Teresa’s Primary School said: “The kids thought that it was great fun and it gave them a chance to be creative. They also felt it helped them develop good teamwork.”

Through the support of the secondary schools, young people in S3-S6 have volunteered to work with the primary schools and this has given them accreditation towards their Leadership and Saltire Awards.

Young Enterprise Scotland is the lead partner organisation of Scotland’s Enterprising Schools – the powerful online resource and professional learning community centred on sharing and developing creative ideas for enterprise education.

For more information about the Inventor’s Challenge please contact:

Rab.Macdonald@yes.org.uk

FM Nicola Sturgeon Announces Renewed Funding For Scotland’s Enterprising Schools

Children will have the chance to take their entrepreneurial skills from the classroom to the boardroom thanks to a renewed £300,000 in funding for Scotland’s Enterprising Schools, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.

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.

Links will also be made with businesses to support pupils to further enhance promising ideas. More than 80 schools are already benefiting from the initiative which is part of Scotland CAN DO, the framework used by the Scottish Government to move towards becoming a world leading entrepreneurial and innovative nation.

The First Minister made the announcement as she attended the opening of the RBS entrepreneurial hub at the bank’s Gogarburn headquarters. She 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.”

The Tenner Challenge – Sign up NOW!

Young Enterprise’s national enterprise challenge for schools returns for another year – you have one month and just £10 to set up a business learning vital skills along the way. It launches on 22nd February and the last date to register is 27th February.

The Tenner Challenge, run by Young Enterprise and supported by BGF (Business Growth Fund) launched on Monday 30 November for registrations.

Last year 20,000 students aged 11 to 19 across the UK registered for the free Challenge, which gives young people a taste of what it’s like to be an entrepreneur. Participants are pledged with £10 and given one month to make a profit and engage with their community. They have the chance to think of a new business idea and make it happen, using real money to take calculated risks in the business field.

At the end of the month pupils return their £10 pledges with a £1 legacy donation to enable Young Enterprise to support even more people the following year. Participants are free to keep their profits, which most donate to a charity of their choice. Tenner allows students to become active citizens through giving back to their community, and provides practical opportunities to explore financial mathematics and problem solving in real contexts.

Stephen Welton, chief executive of BGF, said: “The Tenner Challenge promotes employability skills and introduces young people to the idea of entrepreneurship, encouraging them to think creatively about how they could make a profit.

“BGF is pleased to be working with Young Enterprise to deliver Tenner again, and we’re looking forward to seeing what businesses the young people taking part will set up.”

Last year the top 50 teams made a total profit of £32,500, and 76% of teams donated all or part of their profits to charities, with the highest single donation being £5,212. 83% of students felt Tenner provided them with a unique opportunity to learn and achieve new things, while 90% of teachers agreed that the Challenge increased their students’financial knowledge and understanding.

Schools can register to take part in the Tenner Challenge from Monday 30 November until the 26th February 2016. The Challenge will run from the 22nd February to the 18th March.

-See more at: http://www.yes.org.uk/news/2015/dec/young-enterprise-scotland-hosting-scottish-launch-of-global-entrepreneurship-week.htm#sthash.Aq4IMud3.dpuf

Scottish Education Awards 2016 – closing date for nominations: 15 February (12 noon)

Nominations for the Scottish Education Awards 2016 are currently opened. If you know of a school involved in developing employability skills in learners why not nominate them under the category: Employability across Learning here.

The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016

YIA&D-primary-rgbThe Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016, running from 1 January to 31 December will celebrate the richness of Scotland’s beautiful built heritage, culture and environment, alongside the contemporary and cutting edge designs of today.

From textiles and technology, to architecture, fashion and design, the year-long programme will shine the spotlight on Scotland’s greatest assets and icons, as well as some of our unique hidden gems.

Discover Scotland’s achievements in innovation, design and architecture through a wide variety of events, festivals, exhibitions, business conferences and visitor attractions, throughout the whole country.

2016 will also see The Festival of Architecture take place, as well as the opening of the much anticipated Queensferry Crossing – set to be the world’s longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge. The National Museum of Scotland will also open new galleries in 2016 showcasing Scotland’s internationally important collections of decorative art, design, fashion, science and technology.

So whether you want to discover the innovative structural design behind Andy Scott’s magnificent horse-head sculptures – the Kelpies, enjoy the splendour of a bygone era through the iconic designs of one of Scotland’s best known architects Charles Rennie Mackintosh, or simply be inspired by our creativity, from the past present and future, there will be something for everyone throughout 2016. #IAD2016

www.visitscotland.com/iad2016

New YES Pathways Programmes

Young Enterprise Scotland have unveiled the upcoming courses they will be running as part of the ‘Pathways’ programme from YES Academy.

The YES Academy is a forward thinking environment that combines practical experiences with personal development support to stimulate the capacity for young people to learn through doing. This helps each individual fulfil their potential and recognise their abilities whilst building confidence and esteem to help a young person identify what career path they may like to follow.

The latest course will offer opportunities in both Creative Arts and Hair & Beauty.

For more information, please refer to the flyers included below:

yes hair path

yes creative path