How Big Ideas Wales can help you work with young people
What is Big Ideas Wales?
Big Ideas Wales aims to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs in Wales and encourage young people under 25 to develop enterprise skills whatever their career choice.
The Welsh Government’s Youth Entrepreneurship Services provide a range of opportunities for young people to get involved in enterprise and get support to start a business
National Primary School Competition Enterprise Troopers
This annual competition for primary schools, nurtures the spirit of entrepreneurship with our youngest learners across the country.
Enterprise Troopers showcases the business achievements of our primary school children, a platform to share their enterprise activities and demonstrate links with their local business community. Based on the ACRO skills model (Attitude, Creativity, Relationships and Organisation), Enterprise Troopers provides learning materials to help deliver enterprise in the classroom to develop skills such as teamwork and creativity, whilst enabling pupils to apply their literacy, numeracy and digital skills in a practical way. Through regional and national competitions pupils share their learning and motivation for their business.
Within schools, our Role Models deliver ‘Inspirational Workshops’ to pupils from Year 9 – Year 11 that raise awareness and give young people a flavour of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur . In classroom groups for an hour (or class length) these engaging workshops allow pupils to think creatively about their own futures and business ideas.
Book a session now with your Regional Co-ordinator
For young people aged 16-24, at school, college, university or with youth and community groups, we want to build on their aspirations for enterprise and deliver an ‘Exploring Big Ideas’ workshop. This workshop (usually 1 or 2 hours), provides more experiential learning to build confidence, share their ideas with entrepreneurs and understand more of the practicalities of starting a business. The session helps participants generate ideas for business and create an action plan to take their idea forward.
We can tailor the role model workshops and support partner events to suit the needs of the participants, whether that is supporting curriculum areas such as the Welsh Baccalaureate or providing a sector specific role model to build confidence in a particular theme of business.
Book a session now with your Regional Co-ordinator
Tailored Events
Working with partners we can tailor and develop business events and support around client’s needs and existing business programmes.
For those who are serious about starting, we host a six hour support package which includes one to one support and workshops from professional business advisors, mentoring from entrepreneurs and a range of online resources. Business advisers can work with young people somewhere informal like a café or at their college or university.
- We will complement the work of Enterprise Champions in every college and university in Wales who help students develop their skills and signpost them to any support available.
- We support young people not in education, employment or training and those who are in employment who want to explore self-employment and starting a business
The pinnacle of the support, identifies 18-25 year olds who have the talent, drive and commitment to put their business on the fast track to success.
It is open to motivated individuals, who, if they meet the criteria, are invited to attend a residential Bootcamp weekend hosted twice a year. At Bootcamp we will support every aspect of a business model and build young people’s confidence in marketing, finance and business planning. It is a unique experience where young people can meet entrepreneurs and work with our business advisers to create an action plan to take their business forward. Following the Bootcamp, ongoing support will be provided to participants through the Advisors, Role Models and other entrepreneurs as appropriate to the young person.
A team of dedicated staff provide the coordination and preparation for role model visits in schools, colleges and universities.
Big Ideas Wales is part of Business Wales.
Business Wales proactively supports entrepreneurship through policies and programmes aimed at encouraging the creation, growth and sustainable development of micro businesses and small-medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The aim of Business Wales is to:
- Raise entrepreneurial aspiration and activity in Wales leading to an increase in self employment and the business birth rate
- Improve the competitiveness, survivability and productivity of micro businesses and SMEs in Wales resulting in sustainable growth and good quality jobs.
- Ensure that support is easily visible, simple to use and well connected with the private sector and other policy instruments. #BeTheSpark