SME Business News

Peter Jones, businessman and tv Dragons Den judge, has teamed up with the government to launch a network of ‘enterprise academies’ across the UK.

The purpose of the academies will be to identify the next generation of entrepreneurs. The first of the institutions will be launched in September 2009, and will be in the South East of England.

The initiative is to be aimed at Britain’s teenagers aged 16-18, and will be available to those from all ‘educational backgrounds.’

The National Enterprise Academy (NCA) is backed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and forms part of the governments new enterprise strategy. The Academies will be funded by both the government and Peter Jones to the tune of £4million each.

The academies also have the broader remit of raising enterprise awareness among the entire population and boosting female entrepreneurs which are currently unrepresented in the business community.

Jones has paid particular attention to the difference in the ‘entreprenurial mindset’ between the UK and USA, stating that “Here, there tends to be a ‘Can I’ approach, where in the US the ‘I Can’ belief is instilled at a young age.”

“If the UK economy is to become a world leader in business, we need to create the right learning environment for all our children, where their talents can be developed so they can go out into the workplace or business and prosper.”