Young Enterprise teaches children entrepreneurship

At Seaview Primary School in north Belfast, children from as young as four years old learn about entrepreneurship.

Enterprise Minister Maria Eagle visited Seaview Primary School to hear how the schoolchildren have benefited from taking part in an innovative enterprise programme.

The school is one of several involved in Young Enterprise Northern Ireland’s

Primary Programme, which is designed for pupils, aged 4–11. The programme provides building blocks for skills development, helping the children to understand the world of work and what enterprise is about.

During the visit the Minister met some of the pupils and teachers involved in the initiative. She said: “This programme is a practical way of helping these young people to appreciate how they can help themselves and their communities by embracing a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation. It lets them see how education translates into the workplace.

“Embedding a culture of enterprise in our schoolchildren is the best way of ensuring that we lay the foundation for economic prosperity in the future. Learning about economics and business, even at this early primary school stage, will give these children an advantage later in life.”

The Primary Programme has six modules presented in-curriculum by community or business volunteers working in partnership with the teachers. Following completion, pupils receive a certificate of achievement.

The programme is part of the cross-departmental Renewing Communities Action Plan launched last year. The Plan sets a framework for tackling disadvantage, identifying more than 60 actions that address some of the particular challenges faced in disadvantaged communities at individual, family and community level.

(JM/SP)