From the report foreword
This is a crucial moment to explore the role that youth entrepreneurship currently plays in the UK economy, the challenges young business owners face and, how their success can be built on.Many young people want to make money and raise their living standards. Some are choosing to turn their hobby and passion into a business, growing their side hustle to become a fully-fledged career. Others may be motivated by a cause – building their business around sustainability or social responsibility. Whatever the reason, it’s clear they are determined to succeed.
Education is a vital tool to ensure young people are inspired and feel they have the right skills to start their own business. But enterprise education is not part of the national curriculum and often the experience is frustratingly patchy – something that urgently needs to change. Improving youth entrepreneurship can improve social mobility and local economic growth. It is clear
talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. This must change to ensure that whatever your background and wherever you live, you still have a good chance to succeed in entrepreneurialism.
This is the moment for civil society, business, government, finance, and the education sector to come together to move the dial.
This report provides a voice for our youngest business owners – they’ve set the vision and FSB and our partners at Simply Business have listened. We call on the Government to work with us to empower young people now and in the future.
Tina McKenzie MBE
Policy and Advocacy Chair
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Simply Business is one of the UK’s largest business insurance providers, specialising in public liability insurance for SMEs and insuring nearly 1 million small businesses and landlords across the UK.