Inspiring the next generation of budding female entrepreneurs
New partnership with Young Enterprise to help female students in tourism and creative industries turn their business dreams into a reality
At an event hosted by Women’s 1st in the lead up to International Women’s Day on 8 March, Minister for Women and Equalities Helen Grant announced a new initiative aimed at giving teams of budding female student entrepreneurs a taste of what it’s like to run their own business.
The project will be run by Young Enterprise, who work with 250,000 young people each year, empowering them to develop key employability skills through enterprise. The ‘Women’s Start Up Project’ will be their first female focused programme aimed at giving students the skills to start up their own ventures and will focus on the tourism, hospitality and creative industries sectors.
With the creative industries worth a massive £71.4 billion annually to the UK economy and the tourism and hospitality sectors contributing around £53 billion a year, these sectors offer huge potential for women to start-up and grow their own businesses.
Helen Grant said:
Our economy needs to see more women setting up and running their own businesses. The tourism and creative industries make a massive contribution to the country and women play major roles in these sectors. So it’s fantastic that this scheme will encourage young women taking their first steps in these industries to turn their business dreams into reality.
Running your own business can be hugely rewarding, offering greater flexibility and financial independence. I am sure the ‘Women’s Start Up Project’ will be a great success.
Michael Mercieca, Chief Executive of Young Enterprise said:
The UK needs to empower more women to get into business. We see plenty of dynamic young women excelling on our school programmes and we’re delighted to be launching this project with the Government to further this.