Chancellor promises summer business camps

The chancellor has confirmed claims that he would like every 12-
to 18-year-old to have the chance to attend a summer business
school.

Gordon Brown sees the summer camps proposal as an integral part of
his efforts to promote enterprise education for school-age children
and young people alongside traditional work experience.

However, he is particularly interested in developing courses aimed
at engaging pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds who may not be
interested in pursuing academic careers.

He has called on business leaders and business education
specialists to help him develop short business courses for this
group.

The two-week courses, which would be run over the summer holiday,
would offer intensive training in how to start a business, how to
secure financial backing, and idea and project development. They
would also give young people the chance to hear first hand from
local entrepreneurs and successful businesses.

“If we are to have enterprise in our boardrooms, it must
start in our classrooms,” Brown said.