Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy (YES) Action Plan Annual Report 2012-2013 The YES Action Plan, launched in November 2010, builds on what has been demonstrated to be successful from the original strategy launched in 2004, whilst developing solutions to meet changing needs and demands, and to help overcome current challenges. The YES Action Plan 2010-15 was developed in collaboration with public, private and voluntary sector partners across Wales, following an extensive consultation process during 2009-10. The input of key stakeholders was critical in shaping the proposals. This is a joint strategy between ES&T and DfES. The plan has also benefited from collaboration with other departments across the Welsh Government, and with partners and will to continue to develop areas of synergy which have been identified. The YES Action Plan focuses on young people and how they are taken forward on a journey of entrepreneurship raising their awareness, developing their entrepreneurial skills, sparking ideas and providing practical information and support for those seeking to start up in business. In addition, three strategic audiences - education, business and the community - will all have a critical role to support young people. YES and individual projects delivered as part of the Strategy have once again been selected by the European Commission as examples of good practice. Delivering the Action Plan: As YES reaches its mid point of delivery, significant progress has been continued to be achieved across all ten headline priority actions, identified under the three delivery themes. An overview of progress to date is provided below. Engaging: Promoting the value of entrepreneurship to create opportunities and develop young people Action 1: Launch Big Ideas Wales as a campaign to engage and enthuse young people and partners Big Ideas Wales was officially launched in Global Entrepreneurship Week in November 2010. 2012-13 saw the 5 year target exceeded, with a 71% increase in the number sessions on www.bigideaswales.com on the previous year. 35,050 sessions provided information to young people considering starting a business. 6848 young people completing the online self assessment to test their entrepreneurial skills, a year on year increase of 77%. 1
Action 2: Deliver targeted activities and events to stimulate interest and participation in entrepreneurship, particularly to those who are unemployed and/or economically inactive A new three year programme of entrepreneurship funding to support 6 Regional FE/HE Hubs commenced in September 2012. Champions of entrepreneurship remain in place in all Further (FE) and Higher Education (HE) Institutions across Wales, stimulating an interest and participation in entrepreneurship and embedding entrepreneurial learning opportunities. Youth workers across Wales enable young people to develop holistically, working with them to facilitate their personal, social and educational development, to enable them to develop their voice, influence and place in society and to reach their full potential. Youth workers often support young people s entrepreneurship development. To recognise this contribution there is an outstanding youth entrepreneurship project category at the 2014 Youth Work in Wales Excellence Awards. A session was held at the National Training Federation for Wales meeting in July 2013 promoting modules in financial literacy and a business competition for Traineeship students. An analysis has been undertaken of entrepreneurial qualification delivery within the Traineeship programme. A plan is in place to visit all Traineeship providers between October 2013 and January 2014 to discuss delivery of the overall programme including delivery of enterprise activity. Four pilot entrepreneurship groups were undertaken with Youth Gateway clients in 2010-12. Although evaluation and outcomes appear positive the change in remit of Careers Wales from April 2013 meant that Youth Gateway activities no longer form part of Careers Wales remit. Lessons learned in these pilots can be shared with the Traineeship programmes if this responsibility is transferred to them. A new Youth Engagement and Employment Division was formed within the Welsh Government in 2012 to refocus resources on the most successful interventions designed to help people not in education, training or employment. A Framework for Youth Engagement and Progression has been developed around the needs of young people, strengthening the accountability of different agencies in the system for delivering better outcomes for young people. Ministers have set out requirements to Local Authorities for the implementation of the Framework in the plan which was published on 1 October 2013. 2
Action 3: Encourage business to engage with young people and academia 375 entrepreneurs are involved in the Role Model Programme to motivate and inspire young people. Activity continues to be extended to support a range of organisations including youth offending teams, community groups and youth partnerships. This wider remit has been included in the Welsh Government's Youth Entrepreneurship Services contract from January 2013. Following the successful pilot programme of entrepreneurial shadowing undertaken in 2011, Entrepreneurial Shadowing has been included in the Welsh Government's Youth Entrepreneurship Services contract from January 2013. The Expertise Wales website has undergone significant development. 500 academic records are held on the database and the Innovation Vouchers online application form has been launched. The Knowledge Transfer Programme (KTP) is continuing successfully. The Advanced Manufacturing University Enterprise Network (UEN) has been incorporated into the NE Wales FE/HE Regional Hub. Three projects focused on training, engineering and sustainability are underway. Engaging: Action Outputs 1 Sessions on Big Ideas sites 1 Users of online tools to test entrepreneurial skills 5 Year Targets 50,000 sessions 12,500 uses Progress Sept 2010 Aug 2012 61,661* 13,870 1 Partner organisations registered on Big Ideas 150 87 2 2 Participants outside education involved in awareness raising activities Activities linked to the Youth Engagement and Employment Action Plan 300**/ 4000*** 16/ 4382 4,000 5485 2 3 Participants in schools FE and HE involved in awareness raising activities Entrepreneurs supported to engage with young people 3 Business led university collaborative projects 3 235,000 152,273 DRM + 90,878 FE/HE 250 129 3 UEN projects 3
Young people aware of self employment as a career option Young people considering being their own boss Impact by 2015 5% increase on baseline to be established Increase from 50% to 55% Revised baseline established 75% **** March 2013 53% Key Milestones Launch Big Ideas Wales Autumn 2010 Launched Autumn 2010 Launch Expertise Wales Autumn 2010 Launched February 2011 portal Develop a Youth Engagement and Employment Action Plan Establish University Enterprise Network Broaden the Dynamo Role Model Network September 2010 April 2011 September 2011 Action plan published January 2011. Framework for Youth Engagement and Progression developed. UEN incorporated into NE Wales Regional FE/HE Hub projects underway. Additional activities undertaken. Incorporated into Welsh Government s Youth Entrepreneurship Services contract from January 2013. * Following consultation, measure changed in 2012 from page views to site visits. **Youth Gateway pilot not rolled out ***Young people outside education receiving Dynamo Role Model presentations ****Measure reviewed and replaced by Annual Children s Omnibus Survey Empowering: Providing young people with entrepreneurial learning opportunities Action 4: Provide online guidance to schools and Further Education Institutions on entrepreneurship learning and progression Online guidance for schools, colleges and other learning providers on learning and progression in entrepreneurship education has been made available on the Welsh Government website for use by schools and colleges from December 2012. A revised approach to practitioners cpd has been introduced through the establishment of the Practice, Review and Development process. This integrates cpd with professional standards and performance management so that cpd activities are in response to school priorities with individual involvement in cpd being identified through performance management. A range of measures have been introduced to underpin this approach including new professional standards, revised performance management 4
regulations, new induction arrangements and the launch of a Masters programme for newly qualified teachers. Support for cpd activities has been provided through the promotion of Professional Learning Communities and the provision of high quality resources to raise awareness and support practitioners research and development. It is this overall provision that sets a framework in which subject-specific materials, such as those promoting entrepreneurship can be made available to practitioners to support identified development needs. In 2013 all schools and colleges have met the requirements of the learning and Skills Wales Measure which required all learners to be offered a minimum of 30 options to choose from at Key Stage 4 and post-16. A number of Entrepreneurship courses are available on the Database of Approved Qualifications Wales (DAQW) for use by schools and colleges. In response to the Review of Qualifications the Welsh Baccalaureate is being revised and an important feature of these revisions will be a greater emphasis on entrepreneurial skills and attributes as a part of the redeveloped Essential Skills, as well as review and improvement of the components of the Core. It is envisaged that the Team Enterprise element will be strengthened in the revised qualification which is due for first teaching September 2015. A National Entrepreneurship CPD Hub was launched in March 2013 to provide a pan Wales approach to the development of entrepreneurial teaching and learning. HEFCW is working with Higher Education Wales, CBI Wales and NUS Wales to implement the Agreement on Skills and Employability for Wales. It has asked universities to submit Skills and Employability Action Plans and has provided one off funding of 1m, allocated by formula, to support a range of skills and employability initiatives at all HE institutions. Action 5: Maximise experiential learning opportunities available for young people to explore entrepreneurship at national, regional and local level In November 2012 a new remit was agreed for Careers Wales. This remit clarifies expectations in respect of Youth Entrepreneurship. From 1st April 2013 Careers Wales has no explicit remit to support youth entrepreneurship. In the wider context Careers Wales is remitted to support schools in their delivery of Careers and the World of Work curriculum framework. A new three year programme of entrepreneurship funding to support 6 Regional FE/HE Hubs commenced September 2012. A key aim is to provide improved co-ordination on an institutional and regional basis, interlinking with wider economic developments to provide a clear route for young people to take the next steps to entrepreneurship/start up.to 5
encourage strategic leadership and collaboration. Working as part of a Regional Hub, champions of entrepreneurship in every college and university stimulate an interest and participation in entrepreneurship, provide practical experiences and promote a culture of entrepreneurship The three-year HEFCW funded collaborative programme (the Enterprise Support Programme), led by University of South Wales (Newport)and involving all the HE Institutions in Wales aims to encourage students and graduates from Welsh HEIs and FEIs to cultivate their aptitude, selfconfidence, employability and entrepreneurship skills. The programme saw over 190 students benefitting from enterprise and entrepreneurship drop-in sessions. In addition 12 enterprise related events were held jointly with FE institutions and 60 curricula and extra-curricula sessions on entrepreneurial effectiveness were held attracting 700 students and graduates Swansea University s Academy for Employability, Entrepreneurship and Employee Learning, launched in March 2012 promotes employability and entrepreneurship through greater partnership with business. Global Graduate Challenges have been introduced including links to CERN, Patagonia and with Sir Terry Matthews in Canada. A National Youth Service Strategy is under development. The outcomes and impact of youth work intervention will be measured through the annual National Youth Service Audit. An on-line consultation was launched in June and closes in September 2013. Four consultation events have taken place across Wales throughout July. The final updated strategy will acknowledge the YES. Projects to enable entrepreneurship have been funded through the National Voluntary Youth Organisation grant. Swansea CBC is continuing to deliver against a regional YES Action Plan. Led by SW Wales Regional Learning Partnership a "Building a culture of entrepreneurship" Conference was held in June 2013 attended by more than 200 delegates. Gwynedd CC continue to lead on the Llwyddo n Lleol project in partnership with Anglesey, Conwy and Denbighshire Council, to provide support for young people between 11-19 years old to pursue enterprising ideas and develop the skills they need to set up their own ventures within their communities. Flintshire Business Entrepreneurship network has been established by key regional partners to promote youth entrepreneurship in Flintshire. An inaugural event for young entrepreneurs was held in Flintshire in November 2012 and a partnership network of support established. 6
Action 6: Promote excellence in entrepreneurial learning and leadership by sharing and benchmarking good practice locally, nationally and internationally Member of Welsh Government s Youth Entrepreneurship team seconded to Brussels as a National Expert and a presentation given to the European Commission s expert group on data and indicators on entrepreneurial learning in May 2013. The ADEPTT partnership brings together 13 partners from 8 countries (Spain, Iceland, Belgium, Netherlands, England, Wales, Portugal, Germany and Norway) to exchange best practices from different regions to develop and pilot an innovative training model that contributes to supporting and improving entrepreneurial teaching practice. The Entrepreneurship Academy Wales was launched by Minister for ES&T in October 2012. The Academy focuses entirely on developing and furthering the aspiration of young entrepreneurs aged 16-19 with the support of entrepreneurs and business leaders across Wales. In partnership with the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE), seven participants from FE/HE Institutions participated in the 2012-13 Masters in Enterprise & Entrepreneurship Education Programme. Three Senior University Leaders enrolled on 2012/13 Entrepreneurial University Leaders Programme (Aberystwyth University, Swansea University, University of South Wales) Empowering: Action Outputs 5 Year Targets Progress Sept 2010 Aug 2013 4 5 5 5 On line guidance produced for schools and colleges Young people in Schools and Further Education Institutions involved in entrepreneurial learning opportunities in a variety of environments Young people engaged in entrepreneurial activity as part of the curriculum Young people involved in experiential learning activities in FE &HE 7 n/a On-line guidance is now available on the Welsh Government website for use by Schools and Colleges 200,000 198,822 350,000 37,298 pre-16 & 41,637 post 16 WBQ Learners 50,000 56,835 6 Links with international partners 4 7
CPD Framework to incorporate entrepreneurship Benchmark against agreed international targets Impact To be determined CPD framework developed Under development by European Commission Key Milestones Host International Entrepreneurship September Conference 2010 Hosted September 2010 Distribute entrepreneurial progression guidance for Schools and Further Education Institutions April 2012 Launched December 2012 Pilot training for teachers/advisors Incorporate entrepreneurship in youth strategies, plans and programmes Agree set of international benchmarks and monitoring framework December 2013 September 2014 CPD Framework developed Incorporated locally in strategies and plans. Welsh Government has funded National voluntary youth organisations to run entrepreneurship programmes. Under development by European Commission Equipping: Supporting young people to create and grow businesses Action 7: Prepare young people to take the next steps towards starting a business Following a successful pilot in 2012, Big Ideas Wales events included within the Welsh Government's Youth Entrepreneurship Services contract from January 2013. Focussed workshops, enterprise zones and early stage support programmes in Further and Higher Education provide an environment for young people to identify and explore entrepreneurial ideas. GO Wales has offered 1012 young students and graduates the chance to gain paid, project-based work experience or training in SMEs in Wales. The GO Wales Freelancer Academy training courses have helped 35 young graduates to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to progress their business idea. 8
123 young people have participated in test trading opportunities under the Taste of Enterprise Programme in the Heads of the Valleys and Mon Menai. The Prince s Trust Enterprise Programme supports unemployed young people aged 18-30 to determine whether their business ideas are viable and if self employment is right for them. 325 young people have participated in the four day Exploring Enterprise Programme. Action 8: Support young people to become self employed The Welsh Government s Start Up Service provides information, advice and support for potential entrepreneurs. Contracts are in place to deliver business start up services across Wales, including Graduate Support. A young entrepreneur's bursary is available as part of Jobs Growth Wales aimed at unemployed young people aged 16-24 starting up in business. The Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) scheme offers limited mentoring and an allowance for individuals in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance who wish to set up a business. NEA participants are also able to access Welsh Government s Business Start Up service. The DWP Work Programme commenced in September 2011. It has recently been agreed with the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) that participants on the Work Programme can take part in business start up support offered by the Welsh Government s Start Up service. Action 9: Focus support services on high potential start ups especially in key priority sectors and amongst graduates Tailored start up support, including financial bursaries continues to be available to graduates who are seeking to start a business with the potential to grow, through the Welsh Government s Start Up Service. The High Potential Starts (HPS) pilot project to establish and support new high growth businesses in Wales is proving extremely successful. Links have been made with Higher Education Institutions to identify and recruit young businesses and entrepreneurs. Graduates recruited onto the HPS Programme receive intensive one to one support and access to the Welsh Government s Graduate Bursary support scheme. Knowledge Transfer Centres in Higher and Further Education Institutions work closely with industry in supporting the development of innovative, commercial products, processes and services utilising in-house expertise and facilities. 9
Alacrity has been developed in association with Wesley Clover to provide intensive supervision, training and coaching to talented graduates, to enable them to become entrepreneurs and establish new companies to realise the commercial opportunities around new ICT product/solutions. The Alacrity Building in Newport was officially opened by the Minister in September 2012. Fourteen graduates are working with businesses including Vodaphone, BT and Fuji in four project teams. A new three year programme of entrepreneurship funding commenced September 2012 to support 6 Regional FE/HE Hubs to align with Welsh Government Start Up Services and the One Stop Shop principle. A key aim is to provide improved co-ordination on an institutional and regional basis, interlinking with wider economic developments to provide a clear route for young people to take the next steps to entrepreneurship/start up. Action 10: Draw on the experience and expertise of the business community to support young entrepreneurs A business mentoring service for Welsh SMEs has been developed and was launched in October 2012. Mentors are actively being recruited and are being matched with mentees. 96 young people have been supported by Prince s Trust volunteer mentors to consider business start up. Welsh Government grant funding has been put in place to enable the Prince s Trust to deliver Will it Work Grants, Start Up Loans and Start Up Grant. 10
Equipping: Action 7 8 9 9 10 Outputs Young people attending Big Ideas events Young people receiving start up support Number of financial bursaries awarded Graduates receiving start up support Mentoring opportunities for young people Impact Profile of entrepreneurially active young people aged 18-24 consistently above UK average Profile of Graduate start up companies surviving 3 years as % of UK population % Graduate start up companies as % of UK population Key Milestones 5 Year Targets Progress Sept 2010- Aug 2012 1000 625 3500 2531 250 144 graduates /122 JGW* 1500 1084 150 250 Maintain above UK average Maintain above UK average Maintain above UK average Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2013 Wales 9.5% UK 8.3% HEBCIS** 2013 11.33% Wales 5% UK population HEBCIS** 2013 9.1% Wales 5% UK population Establish a Business Volunteer Mentoring Framework Pilot Big Ideas Wales events *Jobs Growth Wales Bursaries April 2011 September 2011 Framework launched October 2012 Pilot complete and delivery commenced as part of Youth Entrepreneurship Services January 2013. **Higher Education Business & Community Interaction Survey 11
Measuring Success YES Action Plan Panel A YES Action Plan Panel was established in 2011 to receive updates on progress, provide strategic guidance and expertise and to advise on how best to build on what has been achieved. The Panel was appointed for a two year term and during that period agreed a framework for evaluation and a route map for delivery. This will be developed for incorporation within the re-design of the Big Ideas Wales website, scheduled for 2014. The work of the YES Panel will be taken forward as part of a single overarching Entrepreneurship Panel to be appointed by the Minister for ES&T in November 2013. YES Officials Group Responsibility for actions within YES is shared across a number of areas within Welsh Government. Lead officials, with specific responsibility for YES actions meet on a bi-annual basis. The group considers progress to date, identifies areas of synergy and discusses how best to engage with each other and with external stakeholders on the YES Action Plan. Independent Research A number of key surveys have highlighted the progress of YES. Changing Attitudes 53% of young people under 25 now have aspirations to work for themselves and be their own boss, a rise from 42% in 2004 (Wales Omnibus Survey 2013). Developing Skills Student engagement rate rose from 23% in 2010 to 26% in 2012. In England the student engagement rate rose from 16% in to 18% over the same period. (NCEE Enterprise and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education 2012) Early Stage Entrepreneurship and Start Ups The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Report 2013, reported earlystage entrepreneurial activity among young Welsh people as 9.5% in 2012. The UK rate in 2012 is reported as 8.3%. The Higher Education Business Interaction Survey (HEBCIS) 2013 survey reports that universities in Wales make up 5% of the UK s Higher Education population, but generate 9.1% of all UK graduate business start-ups and 11.33% of active firms lasting 3 years or more. 12