West Kent Young Enterprise

WEST KENT YOUNG ENTERPRISE

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The West Kent Area Board of Young Enterprise is responsible for running the Young Enterprise Company Programme in the West Kent Area - for students aged 15 to 19 years who live or attend school or college in the towns of Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Paddock Wood and Hildenborough and their surrounding villages. We believe there to be eighteen Schools and Colleges in this area that have students eligible to join the YE Company Programme. In the 2002 to 2003 year students from thirteen of these Schools and Colleges participated in the YE Company Programme.

In recent years there has been a move in some parts of the country to run the Young Enterprise as an "in-curriculum" subject within each separate school.

In the West Kent Area we run the Company Programme in the "traditional" way - companies run outside normal school hours, often away from school premises and with the achievers drawn from different schools to provide a balanced group. We firmly believe this to be the best method, particularly as many of the schools are grammar schools with a largely single sex pupil base. This view is supported, apparently unanimously, by ex-achievers as well as link teachers and head teachers in the area. It also assists in recruiting Advisors who are both dedicated and committed in their role.

Young Enterprise Companies are formed from around twenty or so students, known as Achievers, who meet together for the first time during late September to early October and set up their own business. They then have the responsibility of continuing to run the business through to the following May to July when they must liquidate their company as Insurance ceases on the 31st July. Company meetings are held on a weekly basis and last for two hours, generally starting at about 18:30. Additional time may be needed for preparation as well as Trade Fairs and other functions.

In the first few weeks each company has to agree and register a name; decide on a product (or service); draw up a business plan; capitalise their business etc. They elect functional directors to take on roles such as Managing Director; Company Secretary; Finance Director; Sales Director; Marketing Director; Operations Director; Technical Director; Human Resources Director; Quality Director; Information and Communications Director etc. Achievers are involved in areas such as Memorandum and Articles of Association; Insurance; Young Enterprise VAT; Young Enterprise Corporation Tax; Business Planning; Trial Balance; Profit and Loss Account; Balance Sheet; opening and operating a bank account etc.

Throughout their experience achievers are supported by Business Advisors who offer advice and assistance when requested by the achievers or to prevent them doing anything illegal. The Business Advisors will not run the company for the achievers but will allow the achievers to learn from their mistakes - hence the Young Enterprise Motto "Learning by Doing". All business advisors have many years of business experience and are committed to their role thus ensuring the highest standards of advice are provided at all times. All advisors and area board members have voluntarily submitted to CRB checks at the Enhanced Level to provide maximum protection to achievers. Advisors are frequently supported by "Assistants" who are volunteers from the previous year's achievers.

The prime objective of an achiever participating in Young Enterprise is to experience the business world at first hand and to provide functional directors with an in-depth insight into specific disciplines, such as finance. Most achievers will improve their skills in Team Working; Problem Solving; Communications; Marketing; Operations; Finance; Personnel and Training. Achievers will also benefit from additional involvement in activities such as Public Speaking; After Dinner Speaking; Attending Trade Fairs (We encourage all our companies to attend Trade Fairs out of the area) and other functions etc.

All achievers are encouraged to complete "Records of Achievement" during their involvement in the Young Enterprise programme. This enables them to make self assessments of themselves; set targets and goals for future achievement and development; to monitor their performance in achieving these targets. This process is monitored by the business advisors and a trophy and award is made each year to the achiever with the best "Record of Achievement".

During March there is a voluntary Young Enterprise examination which is generally sat by all achievers in the area. There are three "pass" grades - Distinction; Credit and Pass. The West Kent board believe this to be an extremely useful qualification, particularly for job application later in life, and encourage all achievers to participate.

To encourage competition and best practice trophies or awards are also made for best Trade Stand; best Written Report; best Company Website; best Finance Report; best Public Speaker; best After Dinner Speaker; and best Company. The best Company and best Public Speaker have the opportunity to proceed to Kent County level. The best Kent Company carrying on to South East region with further competitions at National and then European level.

Achievers may be eligible to receive Certificates for achieving 80% attendance as well as for passing the exam. In West Kent, to avoid devaluing the scheme to deserving achievers, we only issue certificates (of either type) to achievers who have reached the 80% attendance and have been committed to their company from start-up right the way through to liquidation. We believe that both these certificates can be extremely useful to students when applying for jobs or, in some cases, university place application.

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