National skills champion backs Wakefield enterprise campaign

Campaign endorsements

Sir Digby Jones, UK Skills Envoy and former CBI director general, will today join Ed Balls MP and leading local figures in publicly pledging support for the Make Your Mark in Wakefield campaign.

Sir Digby comments: "It is so important that employers, schools and colleges work together to improve the skills of young people and especially develop a "can-do" attitude and a work ethic that enables them to succeed in an enterprising economy. I am delighted to support Make Your Mark in Wakefield in this marvellous initiative.”

Today’s event at Nostell Priory signals a call to action for local businesses and organisations to promise their support and commit to fuelling an enterprise culture in Wakefield.

Ed Balls MP, Economic Secretary to HM Treasury and MP for Normanton, has been instrumental in catalysing support in the Wakefield area for the campaign.

He commented, “It’s fantastic news that our area has been chosen to be one of four enterprise hubs across the UK. I want every young person in our district to be able to fulfil their dreams - whether they want to get an apprenticeship, go to university, write a film script, start a rock band or run their own business.

“We need everyone across our district - teachers, parents, business leaders and public servants - to support all young people to realise their ambitions and make their mark. That way we can boost local jobs and investment and make Wakefield district the enterprise capital of Yorkshire."

Four influential organisations and businesses make up the founding members of Make Your Mark in Wakefield’s enterprise campaign coalition. Today they will pledge the following:

• Wakefield Council announces its drive to improve the quality of work experience for young people, in partnership with Connexions and Compact Education Business Service
• First, the Wakefield District Development Agency, today pledges to engage local employers to support innovation and sustainability
• Wakefield College is working with local businesses such as Welcome Car Finance to develop students’ enterprising skills. It is also working with First to promote business start-up opportunities to students
• The Wakefield Express today announces a new young people focus for its newspaper and website, including the development of ‘junior journalists’ who can report on enterprising events and stories from their unique perspective

In addition the Make Your Mark in Wakefield team, led by campaign leader Jane Walton, has been working hard over the last 6 months to engage with the wider community. To date:

• Nearly 200 stakeholders have pledged support for the campaign – ranging from small businesses through to larger employers, voluntary and community organisations
• 21 young entrepreneurs have been signed up as campaign ambassadors, who can serve as realistic role models and inspire others to turn their ideas into reality

The campaign challenges organisations and individuals to raise their game and encourage enterprise in ways that put young people in the driving seat. Anyone, regardless of their place in society, can help to deliver an enterprise culture among young people.

See the campaign’s Fuelling Enterprise Culture prospectus for a menu of 56 actions which aim to mainstream enterprise, focusing on action not talk. www.starttalkingideas.org/enterpriseculture

Jane Walton, Campaign Team Leader for Make Your Mark in Wakefield, comments: “We would like many more organisations and businesses to come forward and join our campaign coalition. The community needs to work together to fuel an enterprise culture, building on the positivity and enthusiasm which we have already seen to date amongst many of our young people.“

The Wakefield district is home to 65,000 young people. Self employment levels are 10.6% for men and just 2.3% for women. As well as raising these levels the campaign aims to encourage employers to enable their young employees to make their ideas happen in the workplace, as well as focusing attention on areas such as social enterprise, ethnic minorities and women.

The Make Your Mark campaign is the national campaign to inspire people in their teens and twenties to turn their ideas into reality - whether by starting up a business or social enterprise, or by making an idea happen at work.

Anyone interested in supporting the campaign should contact the team at wakefield@enterpriseinsight.co.uk or on 01924 789683.

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Campaign endorsements

Councillor Peter Box, Leader of Wakefield Council, says: “We are proud to be part of the coalition to drive forward the Make Your Mark campaign.  People coming together, pledging their support and giving direction is a great step forward in developing the skills and enterprise of young people.

“We have a wealth of young talent and potential in this district.  Make Your Mark is a fantastic opportunity to harness all that energy and make the Wakefield District a place where young people can take the lead, develop a culture of enterprise and innovation and become the employers, as well as the workforce, of the future.”

Helen Oldham, Managing Director of the Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Group says:

“The Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Group is fully committed to supporting the Make Your Mark campaign. This is an initiative which will turn possibilities into probabilities for young people and is therefore key to the future of the district.

“We're looking forward to working together to provide the courage, confidence and skills to enable young people to make a difference to their lives and their communities.”  

Mohan de Silva, Chief Executive of first – The Wakefield District Development Agency said: “We are delighted to be part of the Make Your Mark campaign coalition in Wakefield. It’s important that we all support and inspire our young people to develop their enterprising skills and to take forward their ideas with enthusiasm and confidence.

“Young people are the key to the district’s future success and growth. We need more enterprising employees who can be innovative and energise organisations, and more young business leaders keen to explore new opportunities and markets. This is an opportunity for young people in the Wakefield District to show the rest of the country what they can achieve.”

Heather MacDonald, Principal of Wakefield College said: “We are absolutely delighted and excited to have the Make Your Mark campaign inspiring the young people of the Wakefield District to be creative and turn their own ideas into reality.

“At Wakefield College we know, first hand, how enterprising and innovative our young people can be. Through our masterclasses in ‘entrepreneurship’ and ‘opportunity spotting and enterprise’ we see that talent blossom.

“Turning dreams into reality is truly possible with a little support from lecturers and teachers, family and friends, and local employers. Together we can make a difference, releasing talents of the young people in the Wakefield District and enabling them to take and make opportunities.”

Ross Bennett, from Tellatale, comments: "Age needn't be a barrier to running your own business – something we've proven through the success of Tellatale, which we run whilst also studying full time at college. We know that t here is huge potential for many more young people in Wakefield to be enterprising. Hopefully by sharing our journey in partnership with the Make Your Mark in Wakefield campaign we can inspire and encourage people to do just that.  Developing our business is an opportunity we are glad we didn't miss."