CROYDON PARTNERSHIP INVESTS IN BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS OF TOMORROW

• Date :
  24 August 2016

Students from across Croydon attended a special Entrepreneurs Summer Camp to help develop their business acumen and creative thinking, which could see them eventually following in the footsteps of Sir Richard Branson or Deborah Meaden as the town’s future business leaders.

Organised by the Network for Teaching Young Entrepreneurs (NTYE), a community interest company, and supported by the Croydon Partnership and financial service company Allianz, the Young Entrepreneurs South London Summer School was a five-day training programme designed to nurture entrepreneurial spirit and develop key employability skills.

Students from Year 9 and 10 from a range of schools including Norbury Manor Business & Enterprise College, St Joseph’s College, St Martin’s in the Field and Sacred Heart registered for the programme, which was hosted by Allianz and Norbury Manor Business & Enterprise College.

At the end of a full week-long programme of interactive workshops, students worked in teams to design and develop a new business venture, pitching their ideas to a team of business people, including Carolyn Kenney, Development Director for the Croydon Partnership.

Carolyn Kenney, Development Director for the Croydon Partnership, the joint venture between Westfield and Hammerson which is set to redevelop Croydon’s retail centre, said:

“This programme provided budding young business people with a fantastic opportunity to learn about the world of work, and the specific skills and qualities required to become an entrepreneur. It also helps build confidence and demonstrate how attitude and behaviour can affect results, while attending the course itself provides a great addition to the students’ CVs."