Cash boost for young entrepreneurs
Devon County Council has awarded £113,000 worth of funding to Schools across Devon through its Enterprise in Schools Grant programme to help encourage entrepreneurship.
The programme is designed to help Devon’s schools create or expand educational opportunities within the areas of enterprise and innovation for both pupils and staff, and is informed by the ‘Enterprise for All’ report.
It will enable schools to provide a better balance between education and skills for employment and aims to equip young people with the motivation and confidence to work for themselves.
A large number of innovative proposals were received from across Devon and the following schools were successful:
- Tavistock College
- St James School - Exeter
- West Exe School - Exeter
- Exmouth Community College
- The King’s School – Ottery St. Mary
- South Molton Community College
- Ilfracombe Academy
- King Edward VI Community College - Totnes
- NORDAB – Northern Devon Academic Board
Consortium (led by Great Torrington School and bringing together nine state secondary schools across North Devon & Torridge)
As a result of being awarded funding Ilfracombe Academy is hosting a national STEM event as part of a unique high-technology project called Bloodhound SSC, which is setting out to design and build a car that will break the 1,000mph barrier and set a new world land speed record.
Deputy Headteacher Tony Tucker, who prepared his school’s bid for the Enterprise in Schools Grant, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled at the Academy to be hosting for a week in February such a prestigious national STEM event as ‘Bloodhound SSC’.
"600 students ranging in age from 10 to 18 from the school and local learning community will gain immediately from the event with a follow up programme and wider legacy that will, over time, be felt by all others in the school. It would simply have not been possible had the bid been unsuccessful and I would like to thank the judges for recognising both the merit of the bid and the long term vision underpinning it.”
Andrew Leadbetter, Councillor for Economy and Growth at Devon County Council, added: “The most striking difference highlighted in the ‘Enterprise for All’ report is in the patterns of work that the next generation will face and that they are more likely than ever before to run their own businesses.
“Our education system and career advice needs to better equip the next generation of Devon’s young people to face the challenges of the modern jobs market and that’s what we are aiming to achieve with the Enterprise in Schools Grant programme.”
For more information on the Enterprise in Schools Grant programme please see the Council's webpages.
For more information please contact Alice Perry at Grayling on 0117 910 6360 or email alice.perry@grayling.com
