Ben Giles – Entrepreneur Champion to WG

Response to the Welsh Government’s

Enterprise and Business Committee’s Inquiry

Into Youth Entrepreneurship in Wales

May 2013

I sit in a few camps really in connection with this enquiry, one as a business man who has run successful businesses since the age of 15, one as a dynamo role model, one as a business who regularly has work experience pupils at our premises and one as an entrepreneur champion to the Welsh Government.

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the inquiry and responds as

Follows:

How effective is the Welsh Government’s approach to promoting youth entrepreneurship?

I support the activities being delivered under the Welsh Government’s

Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy and Action Plan. However, I feel that more can be done in promoting it, both in educational establishments and also in business establishments – whereby local businesses can support the approach.

What steps can be taken to improve or strengthen support for potential young entrepreneurs in Wales?

I feel that whereby there are huge efforts in trying to encourage young people to look at entrepreneurship and recognise that possibilities for them are out there is a lack of practical support for those who have a great idea, or business plan that could become a reality.  I think that Wales could take the initiative to open up and pioneer a series of universities or colleges purely for entrepreneurs; this would mean that any school age student, FE student or university students that had a viable idea could enter this establishment, and be mentored by local and national business men and women to nurture their idea.  Offices, warehouse space would be supplied and the establishment would by the very nature of supporting benefit from equity in the business. – I understand this is only an idea, but anything practical involving local businesses and young entrepreneurs is the key to development in my opinion.

What are the experiences of young entrepreneurs in Wales?

I am unsure really, but as far as I can see there is a lot of positive talking, but not much practical help.  I think young entrepreneurs would love the opportunity to develop with help from local business men and women, and have the opportunity to do more than just listen to inspirational talks.

What is the scale of Welsh Government resource and funding targeted at the promotion of youth entrepreneurship? Is it sufficient?

Unsure

What progress has been made in implementing the Welsh Government’s

Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy and Action Plan?

Unsure

How does the Welsh Government’s approach to promoting youth

entrepreneurship incorporate issues such as equality, social enterprise

and regional variations in skills and training opportunities?

Unsure

What opportunities are presented by increasing youth entrepreneurship as a means of tackling youth unemployment and inactivity?

Through my experience, being self employed is vital in rural west wales for those who are unemployed, those with limited qualifications and/or those who have fallen out of the education system opportunities of employment are reducing annually.  More entrepreneurship skills development not only helps to create more

entrepreneurs, it can also improve the employability potential of young people.

To what extent is entrepreneurship embedded within secondary education, further education and higher education institutions in Wales?

Unsure

What is the evidence base for the Welsh Government’s approach to

supporting and encouraging youth entrepreneurship?

Unsure

How does the Welsh Government monitor and evaluate its youth

entrepreneurship activities? What impact has it had on the number of

people starting a business?

Unsure

What examples of good practice in youth entrepreneurship policy can be

identified within Wales, more widely within the UK and internationally?

unsure