Schools must play a bigger part in creating entrepreneurs, says leading business organisation
That was one of the key messages from the Forum of Private Business in a submission to the All-party Parliamentary Small Business Group’s entrepreneurship inquiry, which opened last month.
The inquiry was set up to consider the role of entrepreneurs in driving economic growth, examine the barriers small firms face, and identify ways in which the UK can increase the number of motivated self-starters capable of running a profitable business.
The not-for-profit Forum also made a number of other suggestions to the inquiry on matters such as tax breaks for lenders, NI holidays, access to finance, prompt payment and the new enterprise allowance scheme.
The Forum began its submission by outlining the importance of the education system and how it should be better used to foster growth in numbers of young entrepreneurs.
Jane Bennett, the Forum’s Head of Campaigns, said: “Schools are vitally important because they are essentially where young minds are honed and appetites for working life whetted.
“They have a vital role to play in encouraging entrepreneurial spirit we recognise that and so do our members which is why we are calling for a greater focus by government on making sure schools are given the tools for the job. Th