Young Enterprise needs your help to spread the word!

Why, when and how to speak to the media

The success of Young Enterprise (YE) depends on young people, teachers, business volunteers, corporate sponsors and yourselves coming together to become more than the sum of your parts and inspire everyone involved to be more enterprising. For YE to maintain the excellent standards we pride ourselves on, we need to attract more volunteers and more businesses to support and deliver our programmes, as well as new generations of young people to experience them. One effective way to do this is to spread the word nationally and regionally through all forms of media newspapers, magazines, radio, television, blogs, twitter, facebook. Getting the word out will involve a three-pronged message as we need to inform people about YE, explain how it works and issue a call to action i.e. let them know how they can get involved. The YE central office will be focusing on the national media outreach and we are asking all the regions to focus on local and regional media. This toolkit will explain how to get started in your region and will attempt to answer any questions you may have along the way. If you do have any further questions, please do e-mail youngenterprise@luther.co.uk and well come back to you as The as possible. soonHandbook has been designed as a pick-and-mix guide for you to dip into as is appropriate to your experience and requirements. It is arranged in 4 sections: Section 1: Creating a PR strategy (p.2) Section 2: Implementation (p.4) Section 3: Media Relations Guidance (p.6) Section 4 Press Releases, pitching and case studies (p.8) Section 5: Resources - FAQs, YE structure, Key facts, Key research, programme descriptions (p.15) Please note that this handbook is an internal document intended for Young Enterprise staff and Boards only. Please do not distribute it to Young Enterprise companies or anyone outside the Young Enterprise organisation.

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PR essentially describes the method an organization uses to communicate specific messages to target audiences through various vehicles in order to achieve a desired objective. Once we have identified the messaging, audience, vehicles and objectives, we have the bones of a strategy.

Messages what do we want to say?

What is Young Enterprise? YE is the UKs leading enterprise education charity offering school, college and university based programmes for four to 24 year olds that give young people hands on experience of business and enterprise. In the 2009/10 academic year, 4,500 business volunteers delivered programmes to more than 250,000 young people across the country. Supporters of Young Enterprise include: HSBC Bank Plc, Accenture, BT, Cadbury, Caterpillar Foundation, Edge, KPMG, Oracle, Procter & Gamble, Ryman, Cisco and Santander amongst others.

Why should young people get involved? YE alumni, who are 30+, earn a third more than their peers Young Enterprise Company Programme alumni are twice as likely to start their own business as their peers. The YE alumni are more passionate about their jobs with 77% of alumni fulfilled and engaged by their jobs, compared with only 59% of the Control Group. Amongst business-owning alumni, Young Enterprise was ranked as the most significant experience they drew upon when establishing and building their venture.

Why should Businesses support YE (employers and employees): YE gives business volunteers the opportunity to use their experience and skills to educate young people. Further, it enables them to learn new skills themselves. This is called Skills based volunteering. Skills based volunteering is the new training. It facilitates staff development, boosts staff retention and empowers staff to try something new and take on new challenges. Supporting YE helps foster a strong feeling of community engagement, creating a business which staff feel proud to work for. Skills based volunteering exposes staff to new environments and ideas, helping them to think outside the corporate box and bring fresh innovative perspectives back to the business. Volunteers are in the privileged position to help nurture the business brains of the future and inspire young people to go on to do great things. These young people are the ambitious motivated innovators of the next generation and volunteers will help set them off on their journey.

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Local businesses (employers) SMEs to large corporations Local businesses (employees) from all departments Students Teachers

Vehicles - how are you going to reach your target audience?

Local and regional newspapers (Education, business, features and main news sections) Local and regional magazines (lifestyle, specialist business, specialist education) Local and regional blogs Local radio and TV programmes Twitter Facebook

Objectives why are you doing this, what are you trying to achieve?
Raise general awareness about YE, what it is, what it does and why Help to attract schools and students Help to recruit volunteers Help to attract business funding

This core strategy will be the same throughout all the regions to ensure YE presents a strong, clear identity and vision throughout the country. This is essential as mixed messages will only confuse the target audiences and build confusion around YE, as an organization. However, it will be important for you to supplement the core messages with regional stats and information in order to make them interesting to a regional readership and be published. For example: in X region, X number of schools, colleges and universities take part in YE, supported by X number of local businesses and X It is also of volunteers.note that you wont be able to include all the key messages above each number important to time you distribute a press release. Try and pick a maximum of three messages to focus on. This is the maximum number you can realistically get across to your audience before they become confused or start to ignore/forget them.

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When do you approach the media?

This can be done in two ways by being pro-active (identifying a newsworthy angle and pitching your story to target media) or by reacting to existing news stories. Pro-active PR In order to communicate your Key Messages, you need to have a news worthy angle to make people want to read your story. This may include an event such as a trade fair, or one of your student companies winning an award or hitting a milestone such as X number of products sold or student company makes its first 1000. In terms of volunteers, one of your regional volunteers may have clocked up ten years of volunteering with YE or been inspired to set up their own business after their experience mentoring a successful YE company. The key here is to imagine what you would find interesting to read about. Once, youve chosen youre angle, you can start writing your press release and send it out to target media. Please see more about this later on. Reactive PR Education and volunteering are frequently being discussed in the media nationally and regionally, especially at the moment due to the coalition governments shake-up of both sectors. The key is to be aware of what is being said by the media in your area and when you think it is relevant to YE, calling the journalists writing about it and asking if they would like a comment or reaction from YE. For example, when it is suggested that young people lack the skills needed for the working environment, you can call and offer comment on the work YE does to educate young people about business and enterprise through hands on experience. It is essential to stick to our key messages above when doing this and if youre not sure, do check with us at youngenterprise@luther.co.uk.

Getting organized

While reactive PR can be done on a daily basis and by its very nature is ad hoc, you can plan for proactive PR to a certain extent, using a planning calendar. This can be laid out in the following way and will help you to prepare for the year ahead.

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Month November December January February March April May June July August

Event

Angle

Target audience

Three key messages

Target media/vehicle

Steps to using the calendar: Column two: identify the fixed points in the year e.g. Trade Fairs, the Exam, Competition Events, as well as general ones such as Easter, Christmas etc. Fill these in against the appropriate month down the Event column. For example: Three month company results Column three: ask yourself what is the story here? Is it: Teenage CEOs turn terrific profits for example? Column four: who do you want to communicate with? In the example above, you could use this story as an opportunity to communicate with businesses. Column five: Which three key messages support your angle? YE is the UKs leading enterprise education charity offering school, college and university based programmes for four to 24 year olds that give young people hands on experience of business and enterprise. In the 2009/10 academic year, 4,500 business volunteers delivered programmes to more than 250,000 young people nationally with X regional volunteers and X young people in XXXXX [insert region]. They couldnt do this without the support of businesses and business volunteers. In return YE gives business volunteers the opportunity to use their experience and skills to educate young people. Further, it enables them to learn new skills themselves. This is called the Skills based volunteering. Column six: which media should you target? Given youve chosen to target the business audience, try speaking to business journalists across all forms of media print, broadcast and online. They may direct you to the newsdesk but they will appreciate the effort you have taken to create a story targeted to their pages. When deciding which angles to go for and which audiences to target, it is worth bearing in mind key times of year for various stakeholders. For example this might be summer term for schools planning the next years timetables and financial year/ budget and we want them to be reminded of how wonderful YE is so they sign up again.

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Establishing and maintaining a positive relationship with the media is essential if we are to meet our objectives. The best way to do this is to offer them strong relevant stories, and deliver them on time. Respecting their time and the deadlines they work to is crucial. By doing this consistently, you will earn their trust and they will be more likely to come straight to you if they need reactive comment The best sudden hole to fill. or have away to begin a relationship with your local print media is to identify the reporters who cover stories closely related to Young Enterprises activities (e.g. the business, enterprise, education, training, and/or community reporters). This can be done by looking at each publications website, or by calling the publication and asking the editorial assistant. The same goes with broadcast. Once you have established who the relevant people to speak to are, introduce yourself and try and find out the following: How they would like to receive news ( e-mail or phone) Deadlines when do they need to receive info by in order to make the next days paper Lead times for events how much notice do they need if they are to attend Best times to call them during the day

After youve called, follow up with an e-mail and some brief information about YE. This should not be reams of information which the journalist will be unlikely to wade through. Rather, it should be a simple one page document which gives them the essential basic information including: background, press officer contact details, spokesperson available and essential stats. Please see an example below which you can insert your relevant information into or adapt with more regional information.

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YOUNG ENTERPRISE [insert region] BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR FILE

YE is a UK charity offering school, college and university based programmes, for four to 24 year olds that give young people hands on experience of the business and enterprise The central YE head office presides over 12 separate regional offices which co-ordinate and deliver YE programmes In the 2009/10 academic year, 4,500 business volunteers delivered programmes to more than 250,000 young people nationally. Regionally, for the same period, XX business volunteers delivered programmes to XXX young people Supporters of Young Enterprise include: HSBC Bank Plc, Accenture, BT, Cadbury, Caterpillar Foundation, Edge, KPMG, Oracle, Procter & Gamble, Ryman, Cisco and Santander amongst others PRESS OFFICE DETAILS Young Enterprise [INSERT REGION] INSERT CONTACT NAME INSERT CONTACT TELEPHONE INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS

YOUNG ENTERPRISE IS AVAILABLE TO COMMENT ON: Skills-based volunteering in the community Enterprise education: teaching young people about business in a practical, challenging and fun way Interaction between business and education Empowering young people as tomorrows entrepreneurs, enterprising employees and business leaders

KEY SPOKESPEOPLE

INSERT PICTURE

INSERT NAME, Chief Executive of Young Enterprise INSERT REGION INSERT A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY HERE BACKGROUND, EXPERIENCE WITH YE, AND A QUOTE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF YE

Why is Young Enterprise different? Young Enterprise alumni who are 30+ earn a third more than their peers Young Enterprise Company Programme alumni are twice as likely to start their own business as their peers Young Enterprise alumni are more passionate about their jobs with 77% of alumni fulfilled and engaged by their jobs, compared with only 59% of the Control Group Amongst business-owning alumni, Young Enterprise was ranked as the most significant experience they drew upon when establishing and building their venture

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Gradually, if you follow the process above, you will build a strong database of essential journalist contacts and know which journalists to send which press releases. It goes without saying that accurate press release distribution is critical to the success of your press release and the reputation of Young Enterprise with the press. Targeting the correct journalists at the correct publications is as important as getting the content of a press release right.

Section 4 Press Releases

Writing & Issuing Press Releases
Its a well-quoted fact that 97% of press releases go straight in the bin. Editors and journalists receive a vast number of releases each week - anything from 200 to 1,000+, depending on the size and importance of the publication. But on average only 3% of these ever make it to the pages of the publication. There are four main reasons for this: Badly Targeted - 9 out of 10 press releases are sent to the wrong person; to a journalist who has nothing to do with the subject covered by the release. This problem is mainly created by blanket mailings. These are mass-mailings of literally hundreds of releases to every journalist under the sun in the hope of picking up a little more press coverage as a result it doesnt work. In fact that technique is counterproductive, and if used could earn Young Enterprise a reputation for sending junk mail ensuring that all your releases go straight in the bin. Too Late - an interesting press release can fail simply because it arrives at the wrong time, and misses the boat.

Timing - Should you phone?

Before sending a press release, call each selected journalist and let them know you have a story they may be interested in. Pitch the story by giving the top line details and then send your press release directly to them. This will mean they are aware of your story and will give your release more attention than if it lands anonymously in their inbox. This will also help you to build up a relationship with journalists. When should you call? Daily papers: mid-mornings are nearly always the best time on daily papers as it will be after the morning conference. Weekly Publications: such as local weekly papers and the trade press have what is known as a dead day. This is the day after a particular issue has gone to press (which is known as the press day). The dead day is when journalists start to think about what to write for the next issue, and you should find out when these days are by calling the publication and asking. Never phone weekly journalists on press day as its their busiest day and theyll give you no time. Monthly Publications: (usually magazines) need approximately three months notice (called lead time) to print a story, sometimes more. If you have any monthly publications on your 8|Page

Style, grammar and spelling

However interesting the ideas behind a press release are, if they are hidden in a sea of waffle, badly formatted or full of spelling mistakes/poor grammar, they will be overlooked. When you write a press release you have to be aware that you only have a second or two to grab a journalists attention. So dont bury the interesting line half way down, put it in the headline and the first paragraph. Because of the sheer quantity of releases received, an editor will spare less than a second to scan the first couple of lines of each one. If nothing of interest springs out your release will go in the bin. Heres an idea of what happens to your press release and the number of options there are for it to be binned: Press release arrives (one of dozens). Journalist reads it (less than one second) BIN? Journalist talks to you. Journalist gives it an angle (errors?). Newsdesk reads it BIN? Sub-editor cuts it & puts headlines on. Revise sub-editor editor checks it (errors?) Later editions/ late news supersedes it BIN? You read the garbled version in the morning

What makes a good headline?

A good headline is there specifically to make the reader want to read on. Its there to grab attention, so keep it short, simple and be direct. As a general rule, dont include names in the headline. If the reader doesnt know what Team Programme is, or what Entrepreneurship Master classes are all about, the mention of the name will not make them read on. At the end of the day, remember that your ultimate objective is to attract an editors attention, and persuade them to read your release. Structure If you get a bite with your headline, the first paragraph is where you hook the reader. Imagine your press release is like a pyramid with the point being the first paragraph and the base being the end. The point (first paragraph) must include the most important information, and then add more information in layers, in order of importance. This is because stories tend to get cut from the bottom so must get across all the important information straight away. The most important rule for press release content is to ensure that it answers six questions. These are: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Anything beyond the facts, such as opinion or speculation, should be saved for quotations, and should follow the facts. But don't put quotes in for the sake of it. A waffling quote will be the first thing to be cut. A good quote needs to have

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A press release should usually be one page long. At the end of the release always create a Notes to Editors section where you put your contact details and background information. Example Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Headline]

Teenage CEOs turn terrific profits

[Date] 8 March 2011: Teenagers from across the region, who launched their own companies in January through the Young Enterprise charity, have announced record combined profits of XXX after only three months trading. Each year, X number of schools, colleges and universities in the region take part in the Young Enterprise company programme where teams of students set up their own companies, assigning each other traditional roles such as CEO, finance director and operations director. The companies then compete in an Apprentice style race to produce the best product and turn the most profit. Regional winners then enter the national Young Enterprise competition. Each team is expertly mentored by local business volunteers who use their business experience and skills to guide the teams. This form of Skills based volunteering enables them to learn new skills themselves which can then be transferred back into their workplace. [insert quote from a business volunteer] [insert quote from YE spokesperson or YE case study] The Schools taking part include: XXXXXXX Notes to Editors: For any further information, please contact: insert contact details] or visit: www.youngenterprise.org.uk About Young Enterprise: YE is the UKs leading enterprise education charity offering school, college and university based programmes for four to 24 year olds that give young people hands on experience of business and enterprise. In the 2009/10 academic year, 4,500 business volunteers delivered programmes to more than 250,000 young people. Regionally, for the same period, XX business volunteers delivered programmes to XXX young people. Supporters of Young Enterprise include: HSBC Bank Plc, Accenture, BT, Cadbury, Caterpillar Foundation, Edge, KPMG, Oracle, Procter & Gamble, Ryman, Cisco and Santander amongst others

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When you first call a journalist, they may just cut you off and ask you to send the press release. If you do get a chance to pitch however, there are some essential tips below Be brief! Journalists are under constant time pressure so give them the top line, most exciting information. Push the angle - most journalists will avoid bland stories so you need to be enthusiastic and emphasise why your story is newsworthy Dont make assumptions - bear in mind that journalists will probably have limited knowledge of Young Enterprise so when you first introduce yourself, remind them what Young Enterprise is briefly i.e. Hi, its Rachel Ellis calling from Young enterprise, the enterprise education charity for 4 to 24 year olds.

Case Studies
A case study may be a volunteer, a teacher, a student or alumni i.e. anyone whos involved with YE and who has a story to tell about their experience. Im sure youve noticed that youre more likely to read a news story or feature that includes personal experiences that you can relate to. Consequently, case studies are the MOST important part of your media strategy because they are the people who will bring your press releases to life and make them interesting to your audience and therefore be journalists. They can to used in a variety of ways including: Quotes: If youre putting a press release together, it is useful to have people on file that you can call and ask for a quote. Interviews: a journalist may well be very interested in your press release but would like to speak to a case study in order to make it more of a story. Again, you should have case studies on file who you can call on to do this Basis for a story: a strong case study may be a story in themselves. For example if a volunteer reaches the ten years in volunteering milestone or a sick teen makes an amazing recovery to lead his/her team to regional victory. This is the best way to generate a strong story.

This means you must constantly be on the hunt for new case studies. You can do this by keeping in regular contact with all your regional volunteers, teachers and schools and encouraging them to sign up as YE spokespeople. A good way of keeping a record of people available is to send out a proforma for them to fill in, which you can then keep on file.

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CASE STUDY PRO-FORMA Young Enterprise is always looking for teachers, volunteers, students and alumni to speak to the media about their experience with Young Enterprise what theyve enjoyed about it and what theyve learned from taking part. If you would be happy to act as a spokesperson and be interviewed by local and regional media, please fill in the form below. Your contribution will not only be great for Young Enterprise, but also great publicity for your school or business as well as volunteering and enterprise education in general.

Name Volunteer/teacher/student or alumni? Name of School, college, uni, or business Address Contact details (e-mail and telephone)

Age How long have you been involved in YE? What made you get involved in the first place?

What do you enjoy most about YE?

Any unusual elements / facts / anecdotes

Are you happy to speak to the media about your experience?

Have you done any media before? If so, who did you speak to? Do you have any visuals (photographs, video) that you would be happy to share?

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Here are some tips for getting the most out of an interview opportunity: Plan ahead. Decide on your agenda and the points you want to make during the interview. Choose your 3 key messages, have facts to back them up and stick to them. Anticipate questions. Rehearse your answers to ensure that what you say comes out the way you want it to. Make your answers concise and clear. The simpler your answers, the clearer the message. Use examples and anecdotes to add interest. Never answer questions off the record. Always realise that anything you say may be used. Avoid jargon. Young Enterprise, like all organisations, has its own vocabulary. Dont use it with journalists it only confuses and frustrates your audience. Be positive. Accentuate the positive and avoid introducing the negative. If a negative issue surfaces, concede any problems quickly and briefly and then describe steps being taken to overcome it. Never distort information in an interview. If you dont know the answer, say so and get the information to the journalist as soon as you can.

Responding to Journalist questions

The key to a successful interview is to have something definite to say. Have your three key messages, some anecdotes and some supporting information; and then slip them into your answers at every opportunity keep going back to them in spite of the questions. If you feel that the journalist is leading you away from your topic, steer the interview in a different direction using the following phrases: Im glad you asked me that, as it brings me to the point Ive been wanting to make That is a good point, but I think what is perhaps more interesting is I dont have the precise details about that, but what I do know is These will only work if you know what direction you want to head off in. If you dont know, dont steer and certainly dont make it up. Instead, buy yourself some time to think: Im sorry, I dont have that information, but I will find out and get back to you by the end of the day Unless you know what you want to say, you will not be able to take control of the interview, which is the ultimate goal of any interviewee. Dont think you can make it up as you go along. If you do you run the risk of drowning the journalist in a sea of waffle.

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About Young Enterprise (YE)

Young Enterprise is a registered charity which gives young people the opportunity to learn about and experience business in a practical, challenging and fun way through our 13 tailored activity programmes. Young Enterprises ultimate aim is to foster feelings of empowerment and entrepreneurship, as well as boosting employability. We treat young people not as students but as the CEOs and entrepreneurs of the future and Young Enterprise helps them to take the first steps towardsmakingthisareality. To find out more visit www.young-enterprise.org.uk

How does it work?

The 13 age-tailored programmes are delivered to schools by 12 regional boards across the UK, and overseen by a central UK Board Each programme in each school is facilitated by a volunteer from the local business community who acts as a mentor In the 2009/10 academic year, 10, 000 business volunteers delivered programmes to more than 5,500 schools and universities Supporters of Young Enterprise include: HSBC Bank Plc, Accenture, BT, Cadbury, Caterpillar Foundation, Edge, KPMG, Oracle, Procter & Gamble, Ryman and Santander amongst others

Key facts
Young Enterprise recruits business volunteers who, with the support of a teacher/tutor, then help to deliver YE programmes in schools, colleges and Universities. Each year, over 300,000 young people aged 4-25 take part in YE programmes, which empower the next generation with the confidence, ability and ambition to succeed in a rapidly changing global economy. Every year, more than 3,500 businesses and over 5,000 schools, colleges, universities and local communities, support YE making us the UK's leading enterprise education charity. Young Enterprise was founded by Sir Walter Salomon in 1963. During that first year, 113 young people founded the first eight Young Enterprise companies in the UK. Young Enterprise's mission statement is: "to inspire and equip young people to learn and succeed through enterprise." YE is an active member of Junior Achievement Worldwide and a founding member of JAYE Europe. Key research Below are some highlights from our independent Alumni evaluation, carried out by the research company Fresh Minds in 2008.

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Q: Who is entitled to take part? A: All young people aged 4 24 Q: Can you join as an individual or must you sign up as part of a school? A: Individuals are entitled to get involved as volunteers, however to take an active part in the programme participants must belong to a credited institution such as a school or college. Q: How many young people and businesses take part each year? A: Young Enterprise reaches more than 300,000 young people a year through the involvement and support of 3,500 UK businesses. Q: How many schools, colleges and universities take part? A: More than 5,500 schools, colleges and universities participate in Young Enterprise Programmes. Q: How are business mentors assigned? A: Young Enterprise at a local level will contact a volunteer and find the best programme and location to suit their needs. Q. What do businesses and volunteers gain from taking part? A: Volunteers enjoy a sense of achievement that they are developing and mentoring the entrepreneurs and business people of the future. Skills based volunteering is the new training. It facilitates staff development, boosts staff retention and empowers staff to try something new and take on new challenges. Q: Do individual schools need to pay a fee to get involved? A: Programmes are subsidised but all schools are required to pay some level of fee. The fee depends on what region the school is in. Q: What are the benefits of Young Enterprise? A: According to our independent research, Young Enterprise Alumni are twice as likely to start their own business as their peers and those who are 30+ earn a third more than their peers. Young people taking part learn new skills, develop self confidence, bolster their CVs and ultimately make themselves more employable by getting involved.

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Primary Programme Age Range: 4-11 A variety of hands-on activities enable children to better understand the relevance of their education to the workplace through the six module themes: Ourselves, Our Families, Our Community, Our City, Our Nation and Our World. The lessons are presented by a business volunteer in school to a whole class. Your School Your Business Age Range: 11-12 Provides a hands-on, practical introduction to the school as a learning and business organisation. Volunteers from the world of work lead discussions, deliver activities, and enrich the programme with their own experiences and knowledge.

Personal Economics Age Range: 12-15 Gives students a hands-on, practical introduction to personal finance, credit and debt, savings and investments and budgeting. Volunteers from the world of work lead discussions deliver activities and enrich the programme with their own experiences and knowledge.

Enterprise in Action Business volunteers challenge students to identify and develop attitudes and capabilities for enterprise through the process of thinking-up, designing, planning, building and promoting a prototype product model. An interactive simulated business context is created over the Internet, and underpinning business concepts are delivered via games and activities. Learn to Earn Age Range: 12-15 Aims to support and guide students in exploring the concepts of success, independence and employment and in understanding the relevance of learning and education to their working future. Volunteers from the world of work lead discussions deliver activities and share with students their own life experiences. 17 | P a g e

Age Range: 12-15 Gives students a practical, activity based insight into economic and business life through hands-on introductions to a wide range of subjects relating to how businesses interact with investors, customers, employees, and society in general. Also included in the programme is a business/works visit, usually hosted by the volunteer Business Partner. Quick Start Age Range: 12-15 Offers students a taste of the skills and experience required for business and enterprise through the experience of setting up and running their own real company through an intensive 10-day programme. Sessions are supported with hands-on learning activities and led by an expert from the world of work. Quick Start Music Age Range: 12-15 Through a combination of theory and practical experience, the 10-week creative enterprise. Programme enables young entrepreneurs to learn how to operate their own real music businesses with support from business and music industry mentors. The young entrepreneurs will also be able to access and promote the talent of young creators, via the NUMU online schools music network, a dedicated safe site where young musicians can showcase their music.

Team Programme Age Range: 15-19+ Designed for young people who experience difficulties with learning and/or disabilities. Offers practical experience of running their own company, supported by their teacher and volunteer Business Advisers. Formal recognition of the skills and abilities developed through Team Programme is offered via the Young Enterprise Qualification, that all Team Programme participants are invited to sit.

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Age Range: 15-19 Students set up and run their own company over the course of one academic year. They elect a board of directors from amongst their peers, raise share capital and market and finance a product or service of their own choice. At the end of the year they liquidate the company and present a report and accounts. Formal recognition of the skills and abilities developed is offered via the Young Enterprise Qualification that all Company Programme participants are invited to sit.

Entrepreneurship Master Class Age Range: 15-19 Seminars to encourage students to think about starting their own business as a career option and to identify the key entrepreneurial skills required. Enable current entrepreneurs to inspire students through presentations, activities and discussion centered on their own life experiences.

Industry Master Class Age Range: 15-19 Seminars to help students gain an overview of the world of work within a specific industry sector e.g. creative and media, engineering, hospitality, construction, catering etc. Current business leaders from the sector inspire students through presentations, activities and discussion centered on their own field of work. Startup Programme Grads Age Range: 18-24 Offers students in Higher Education the opportunity to learn from setting up and running their own company. It also helps them to gain an understanding of the potential of SME's as future employers, and to consider self-employment and business creation as possible future career options.

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