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NESTA nurtures growing entrepreneurs

20/11/2008

"It is essential that we prepare young people for the future world of work by immersing them in relevant and up-to-date situations that they can expect to encounter when they leave education."

Fifty young people will take part in an exciting range of business workshops and activities today to inspire them to be more entrepreneurial. They will learn how to collaborate by working together in teams, and at the end of the day pitch their ideas to a ‘Dragons Den' style panel of judges.

The event, organised by NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) to coincide with Enterprise Week, aims to encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs by bringing enterprise to life.

They will be introduced to the NESTA Making a Mint Challenge and take part in a series of business workshops that will get them involved in the processes of creative ideas generation, market research, branding, finance and pitching.

Making a Mint is a competition aimed at 7-14 year olds first launched by NESTA in 2007. Groups of young people are given free packets of mint seeds and challenged to come up with enterprising and creative ways to make as much money as possible. The competition also aims to teach young people the science behind growing the mint seeds.

Benedict Arora, Programme Director of NESTA's Future Innovators team, said "It is essential that we prepare young people for the future world of work by immersing them in relevant and up-to-date situations that they can expect to encounter when they leave education."

This year's Making a Mint competition saw over 5000 packs of mint seeds distributed to groups of young people, teachers and parents. The winning team came from Dunoon Primary School, Argyll, Scotland, who generated £346 by growing their mint and then making and selling mint air fresheners made from plaster of Paris.

Jonathan Kestenbaum, Chief Executive of NESTA said, "The way these young people engaged with the competition is a clear indicator that the UK has a future workforce capable of meeting challenges and adopting an entrepreneurial spirit. It is paramount that this potential is fostered at every opportunity particularly in light of current fears of unemployment and economic instability."

Contacts:

Catherine Anderson, Communications Assistant tel: 0207 438 2609 or catherine.anderson@nesta.org.uk.

Notes to editors:

NESTA

www.nesta.org.uk

NESTA is a unique and independent body with a mission to make the UK more innovative. It invests in early-stage companies, informs and shapes policy, and delivers practical programmes that inspire others to solve the big challenges of the future.

Making a Mint
www.planet-science.com/outthere/index.html?page=/outthere/mint/

The Making a Mint competition, organised by Planet Science and NESTA Future Innovators Team, encourages groups of young people to use their entrepreneurial skills to grow mint seeds and come up with creative ideas to make money from them.

Each team will be set the challenge of growing mint seeds, adding as much value to the grown plants as possible. Teams will then sell their minty products, while recording the process.

This is a fantastic opportunity for 7-14 year olds to learn valuable entrepreneurial skills as well as the science behind growing a plant from seed. Participants will also have the chance to win £1000 for their school in either Amazon or Garden Vouchers.

NESTA Future Innovators
www.nesta.org.uk/programmes/future_innovators

NESTA's Future Innovators Programme aims to develop the skills and attitudes needed by young people for the future economy. We do this by supporting the professionals and institutions that work with young people, to test new approaches and disseminate ideas and resources about ‘education for innovation'.

Planet Science
www.planet-science.com

NESTA's Planet Science is a free popular online resource and newsletter for school students of science and their parents and teachers. It's a mix of interactive features, games and teachers materials designed to engage and inspire, and a free weekly e-newsletter to keep in touch with its audience.