(21 September 2009)

Young people will now be able to study for brand-new qualifications in enterprise and entrepreneurship as the National Enterprise Academy (NEA), brainchild of Dragons’ Den entrepreneur Peter Jones, and backed by Government, officially opened today (21 September 2009). The NEA, the first-ever UK educational institution dedicated solely to enterprise and entrepreneurship, will pioneer a new and innovative way of teaching. It will expose students to real-life business issues in real-life business environments, with a high level of input from a range of entrepreneurs acting as mentors, supporting trained tutors.

The NEA will enrol nearly 18,000 learners in its first five years, giving young people and older learners the skills and confidence to become enterprising employees or entrepreneurs in their own right. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has invested up to £9m, matched by employers, creating a powerful partnership which allows employers to lead and shape the skills being taught.

Speaking at the launch of the Academy at the London headquarters of Orange, the NEA’s exclusive communications and key corporate partner, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said: “Enterprise is essential to our future and it starts with young people. This Academy will play a vital role in helping young people unlock their talent and gain the skills necessary for a better future, both for themselves and the country..”

The two new qualifications have a strong focus on practical skills. The first, a level 2 BTEC Diploma in Understanding Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and the second, a level 3 BTEC Diploma in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, have been developed in partnership with Edexcel, the UK’s largest qualifications awarding body. Both will be available to 16 to 19-year-olds from this September at the NEA’s enterprise centres in Buckinghamshire and Manchester. The qualifications will also be integrated into diplomas.

Peter Jones, entrepreneur and founder of the NEA, said: “While it’s true that traditional business studies courses equip students with a wealth of valuable theoretical business knowledge, there is currently no single academic course wholly dedicated to enterprise and entrepreneurship – a fact that inspired me to set about establishing the National Enterprise Academy.

“In the UK, we need to foster amongst our young people an ‘I can’ rather than a ‘Can I?’ attitude. That is not to say we do not already possess a great deal of young talent in Britain – far from it. But up until now, we have simply not done enough to unlock the entrepreneurial talents of our young people. There is arguably no better time to create a National Enterprise Academy than during a recession. The UK needs entrepreneurs to stimulate the economy and businesses need inspired employees to help their companies recover quickly. With the continued support of Government and the private sector, the National Enterprise Academy will create both”.

The NEA opens its doors after a successful Pathfinder pilot programme began in January 2009 where 28 students were recruited on to an intensive six-month programme designed to develop, shape and test the UK’s first ever qualifications dedicated solely to enterprise and entrepreneurship. The results of this pilot programme are outstanding: several students have already established their own businesses, some are continuing in education, including taking up further provision with the NEA, gaining further knowledge and skills which will help them make a contribution to the country’s economic growth. Five of the graduates have been offered positions by high-profile organisations.