Entrepreneurial Spirit Sweeps The UK

The UK is a nation of would-be Alan Sugars according to a new poll conducted by the Learning and Skills Council.

The survey of over 1,500 people to celebrate the national roll out of the Adult Learning Grant (ALG), revealed that almost a quarter of the UK (22%) would save up their £30 weekly grant to help them set up their own business.

Just as Sir Alan started up his multimillion pound empire with under £100 in his pocket, it seems the nation now wants to follow in his footsteps. ALG is a grant which has been designed to help adults studying full-time with the costs of learning by providing them with up to £30 per week, so just four weeks of saving would be equivalent to Sir Alan’s original start up fund.

Other figures from the poll indicate some interesting differences in how men and women would spend their money. It was revealed that men are far more likely to spend their money on going out (23%) than women (14%), whilst women are more studious, preferring to spend their money on books (54%), compared to 47% of men.

"ALG offers learners a helping hand to get back into education, without having to worry about financial problems," said Trevor Fellowes, Director Learner Support. "There are no restrictions on how the money can be spent, it can be used to help with anything from the cost of books and materials through to childcare costs, but it’s great to see that so many people would use the money setting up their own business!”

The Adult Learning Grant (ALG), a £35 million investment that will make a significant contribution to improving Britain’s skilled workforce, will be available nationally this summer following a successful pilot programme that began in 2003 throughout 24 areas of England.

Skills Minister David Lammy said: "ALG will now complement the entitlement to free tuition for young adults aged 19-25 undertaking first Level 2 or 3 qualifications - equivalent to five good GCSEs or 2 A levels. We will ensure everyone has the skills they need for employability and that employers get the skilled people they need for better productivity and the competitiveness of the nation."

Developed as part of a new Government initiative to improve the levels of both vocational and academic skills in the UK, ALG is intended to be a helping hand for adults who want to learn more skills, but have certain financial worries.

(SP)