Kerry McCabe, Business Network Manager at Newcastle NE1, reviews the success of NE1 CAN's latest event designed to put entrepreneurship and launching your own business on the careers curriculum. When I joined NE1 CAN over three years ago, I inherited a strong careers-led programme with great links to traditional industries. The programme provided fantastic insights and inspiration for young people around conventional jobs and careers, but there was little to no exposure to entrepreneurs in any industry. This was true of careers services in most schools, colleges, and other educational institutions across the North East, with most young people never learning that setting up and running their own business is a realistic and viable career option, and even fewer were aware of the help and support that is available for start-up businesses. Our NE1 CAN team was quick to address this by launching a series of events called Entrepreneurial Stories that were extremely well attended, and from the outset we knew there was scope to scale up with full day events to cater for larger numbers of young people. Our first Day of Inspiration was held in mid-March, supported by ten regional entrepreneurs from cross-sector businesses. These entrepreneurs gave up their time to share their own business journeys with young people, to inspire, and instil belief into young people that they too can achieve similar goals. A diverse range of the region's entrepreneurs and business owners came on board to demonstrate that starting a business is a viable and rewarding career path. 200 young people from across the North East attended the event, which was staged at Newcastle College, the first of its kind to be delivered in the region. We wanted to ignite a spark in young people and encourage those who have a business idea, or who want to set up their own business, to believe that now is as good a time as any to take up the challenge. Signposting the help and support that's available for new business start-ups and highlighting that when they have no ties and commitments, going it alone involves less risk. From post-event feedback we know the audience went away inspired and filled with the confidence to consider setting up their own businesses. The Day of Inspiration provided exposure at an integral time in young people's educational journeys, equipping them with the knowledge to help them make informed decisions about their options before they leave education and embark on their careers. A varied line-up of speakers from across the North East's entrepreneurial community took part in the day-long event including Joanna Feeley, founder and CEO of trend forecasting company, Trend Bible, which works with global brands including Moonpig; Jimmy from Gingerinos Kitchen, a successful pizza parlour in the Ouseburn, graphic design artist James Dixon, Founder of Lines Behind, and Nagma Ebanks-Beni, Commercial Director at Prima Cheese alongside a start-up panel showcasing entrepreneurs at the start of their journeys. Sectors covered as part of the event included service and product-based businesses, art, trend, manufacturing, distribution, coaching, sustainability, the rental market, beauty products, clothing and food, demonstrating that no matter what the idea, there is space for a business to grow here in the North East. As well as being inspiring, the event scored highly on the GATSBY scale, the framework for good careers guidance for young people, by delivering 14 contacts with businesses across the day. The GATSBY career guidance suggests that from the age of 11, pupils should participate in at least one meaningful encounter with an employer every year to learn what work is like, or what it takes to be successful in a workplace. Broadening young people's exposure to different jobs and careers is central to our NE1 CAN project. Getting businesses in front of young people to discuss their work, jobs, careers, and how they got there, helps demonstrate the breadth of opportunities available across a wide range of industry sectors here in Newcastle and the North East. These efforts help raise aspirations and ambitions, whilst enabling young people to make informed decisions about their own futures. Encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs and business owners will have huge economic benefits not just for the individuals we inspire, but for the whole city and the wider region.
Kerry McCabe, Business Network Manager at Newcastle NE1, reviews the success of NE1 CAN’s latest event designed to put entrepreneurship and launching your own business on the careers curriculum.
When I joined NE1 CAN over three years ago, I inherited a strong careers-led programme with great links to traditional industries. The programme provided fantastic insights and inspiration for young people around conventional jobs and careers, but there was little to no exposure to entrepreneurs in any industry. This was true of careers services in most schools, colleges, and other educational institutions across the North East, with most young people never learning that setting up and running their own business is a realistic and viable career option, and even fewer were aware of the help and support that is available for start-up businesses.
Our NE1 CAN team was quick to address this by launching a series of events called Entrepreneurial Stories that were extremely well attended, and from the outset we knew there was scope to scale up with full day events to cater for larger numbers of young people. Our first Day of Inspiration was held in mid-March, supported by ten regional entrepreneurs from cross-sector businesses. These entrepreneurs gave up their time to share their own business journeys with young people, to inspire, and instil belief into young people that they too can achieve similar goals. A diverse range of the region’s entrepreneurs and business owners came on board to demonstrate that starting a business is a viable and rewarding career path.
200 young people from across the North East attended the event, which was staged at Newcastle College, the first of its kind to be delivered in the region.
We wanted to ignite a spark in young people and encourage those who have a business idea, or who want to set up their own business, to believe that now is as good a time as any to take up the challenge. Signposting the help and support that’s available for new business start-ups and highlighting that when they have no ties and commitments, going it alone involves less risk. From post-event feedback we know the audience went away inspired and filled with the confidence to consider setting up their own businesses. The Day of Inspiration provided exposure at an integral time in young people’s educational journeys, equipping them with the knowledge to help them make informed decisions about their options before they leave education and embark on their careers. A varied line-up of speakers from across the North East’s entrepreneurial community took part in the day-long event including Joanna Feeley, founder and CEO of trend forecasting company, Trend Bible, which works with global brands including Moonpig; Jimmy from Gingerinos Kitchen, a successful pizza parlour in the Ouseburn, graphic design artist James Dixon, Founder of Lines Behind, and Nagma Ebanks-Beni, Commercial Director at Prima Cheese alongside a start-up panel showcasing entrepreneurs at the start of their journeys. Sectors covered as part of the event included service and product-based businesses, art, trend, manufacturing, distribution, coaching, sustainability, the rental market, beauty products, clothing and food, demonstrating that no matter what the idea, there is space for a business to grow here in the North East. As well as being inspiring, the event scored highly on the GATSBY scale, the framework for good careers guidance for young people, by delivering 14 contacts with businesses across the day. The GATSBY career guidance suggests that from the age of 11, pupils should participate in at least one meaningful encounter with an employer every year to learn what work is like, or what it takes to be successful in a workplace.
Broadening young people’s exposure to different jobs and careers is central to our NE1 CAN project. Getting businesses in front of young people to discuss their work, jobs, careers, and how they got there, helps demonstrate the breadth of opportunities available across a wide range of industry sectors here in Newcastle and the North East. These efforts help raise aspirations and ambitions, whilst enabling young people to make informed decisions about their own futures. Encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs and business owners will have huge economic benefits not just for the individuals we inspire, but for the whole city and the wider region.
