Young Enterprise Scotland - about us

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OUR IMPACT Since 1992, we’ve been creating and developing programmes that complement the school and college experience and encourage young people to realise the extent of their own talents.

KEY FIGURES 24,615 Young People 422 Volunteers 387,655 Experience Hours 18,798 Young People Inspired Provided with an introductory learning experience that develops an interest.

3,274 Young People Prepared Provided with a core learning experience that builds skills, attitudes, and competencies.

2,523 Young People Succeeding Supported through an applied learning experience that demonstrates mastery of competencies in the real world.

Our Vision To lead learning in enterprise and entrepreneurship across Scotland, encouraging every young person to succeed and achieve a rewarding future in life and work.

Our Mission To inspire and empower young people in Scotland to learn, develop and succeed through enterprise and financial education.

Primary Our enterprise programmes and activities within Primary schools are fully aligned with the Curriculum for Excellence, support the Scottish Government’s commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and supply practitioners with robust lesson plans and highlight appropriate learning outcomes for each delivery.

Our delivery team work closely with regional Developing the Young Workforce teams along with the school coordinators to ensure a joined-up approach for learners.

Working collaboratively, we bring business experts into the classroom to share their own experiences and give insights into business practices and idea generation.

Secondary Our enterprise programmes and activities within Secondary schools have been created to align with the Curriculum for Excellence and supply practitioners with robust lesson plans and highlight appropriate learning outcomes for each delivery.

Our delivery team work closely with regional Developing the Young Workforce teams along with the school coordinators to ensure a joined-up approach for learners.

Many of our enterprise programmes have been accredited with SQA and SCQF to ensure learners gain recognition for the work they do.

Since launching in 2015, Scotland’s Enterprising Schools have led and supported the drive to build capacity among teaching practitioners through enterprise.

An online resource where practitioners can access support and ideas to support in embedding enterprise into the curriculum; we also provide professional learning twilight sessions, CLPL and personal mentoring. Through these services, we encourage and support debate and reflections on the success and challenges of teaching and learning approaches to enterprise education.

Membership to our online platform is free and practitioners can download a variety of resources covering ages 3 to 18.

These include projects and lesson plans mapped out to Curriculum for Excellence’s Experiences and Outcomes and The Career Education Standard’s ‘I Can’ statements.

Financial Education is an essential skill for life, learning and work and supports children and young people to build a sustainable future for themselves, their community, and the wider world.

However, in Scotland, only four in ten children aged 7-11, and only half of 12–17-year-olds recall learning about money management at school (MaPS, 2020).

Young Enterprise Scotland has been committed and dedicated to developing financial education as part of their offering. Our aim is for all children and young people in Scotland to develop essential financial skills that will support them into adulthood.

Scotland’s Financial Schools supports practitioners and builds confidence in embedding financial education into their practice. We provide them with the training, skills, and resources they need to create a sustainable approach to delivering financial education in Scotland.

Bridge 2 Business is the leading college enterprise programme, delivered across Scotland. The aim of the programme is to inspire, connect and support college students aged 18-45 into business.

The Bridge 2 Business programme offers college students the opportunity to learn and explore start-up business, and offers opportunities to test out their ideas, as well as develop their skills for employment – all through enterprise activity.

The offering and support through Bridge 2 Business is leading the way to inspire the next generation of young entrepreneurs in Scotland.

In addition to workshop sessions, Bridge 2 Business also offers initiatives such as #FemaleBoss so include more women and non-binary individuals into enterprise, and the Enterprise Roadshow which took place across nine colleges in 2023.

Square Go is our start-up village for entrepreneurs in our Centre within Rouken Glen Park.

Officially opened in 2022 with support from East Renfrewshire Council, Square Go was created using upcycled shipping containers and provides fledging entrepreneurs with a free space to develop their business idea with support from mentors. T his space aims to break down barriers for entrepreneurs by the provision of heating, lighting and internet access free of charge.

Festival of Youth Enterprise Piloted in 2017, our Festival of Youth Enterprise is the flagship annual enterprise celebration event for young people across Scotland.

Designed to incorporate our Company of the Year awards alongside highlighting and celebrating enterprise activity from across Scotland, this is always a highly successful and engaging event.

Read more about it, or chat to us to find out how you can get involved.

Volunteering Young Enterprise Scotland rely on volunteers to enhance the learning experience for many of the young people we work with.

Becoming a Young Enterprise Scotland volunteer is both challenge and rewarding. The excitement and satisfaction of mentoring, of transforming attitudes, and helping young people open their eyes to the world of enterprise keeps many of our volunteers coming back year after year.

We work with private, public and third sector organisations to host volunteer groups at our Rouken Glen site.

Contact Support us in maximising our impact for all young people in Scotland.

Our work is supported by volunteers, collaborators and partners. If you would like to sponsor us, support us, volunteer with us, or just find out more about what we do, please get in touch.

Find out more about different volunteering oportunities we can offer, and learn more about our range of programmes.

Keep in touch: @YE_Scotland @YoungEnterpriseScotland @YEScotland @YoungEnterpriseScotland