Every year 30,000 young people in the UK can learn what it is like to run their own business before leaving school. These 15-19 years olds take part in a scheme called Young Enterprise. It is organized by the UK’s largest business education charity, which was founded in 1962.
Young Enterprise’s objective is ‘to inspire and equip young people to learn and succeed through enterprise.’ Under the guidance of business mentors, who are volunteers from some of the country’s most well-known companies, each Young Enterprise group runs its own real company for a year.
It is up to the group to name the company, assign roles like managing director, marketing manager and accountant, decide on a product or service, work out how to finance and market it, and finally sell it. A year later, the business is closed, hopefully with a profit.
Young Enterprise gives its participants the opportunity to develop valuable skills such as communication, teamwork and decision-making. It also gives them an understanding of how a real business works. They will be able to use this knowledge and experience in the future.
Young Enterprise sounds like a good thing, doesn’t it? But does it really work? According to research in 2012, if you take part in Young Enterprise at school, you’ll be:
Ÿ almost twice as likely to have your own business and employ people
Ÿ more likely to have higher earnings
Ÿ more likely to be successful in your career
Ÿ more likely to be innovative and high-tech
So, if you could join a Young Enterprise group in your school, would you?
Task 1. Choose the best title for the text.
A. Learning by watching
B. Learning by talking
C. Learning by doing
Task 2. Choose the correct answers.
1. Who is Young Enterprise for?
A. Students at university
B. Teenagers who don’t want to go to school
C. Teenagers in the last few years of school
2. What is the aim of the Young Enterprise charity?
A. To make money
B. To set up big companies
C. To educate young people about business
3. Who are the mentors?
A. Teachers B. Business people C. Students
4. Who makes the decisions in each group?
A. The mentor
B. The managing director
C. All the members
5. What skill does Young Enterprise teach you?
A. How to work with other people
B How to work on your own
C. How to write a curriculum vitae for a future job
6. What effect can participating in Young Enterprise NOT have on your future job?
A. You’ll probably be a better employee.
B. You’ll probably earn more money.
C. You’ll probably be able to continue the business you started with the scheme.