Sheffield Chamber of Commerce is going back to the classroom with two initiatives aimed at encouraging enterprise in schoolchildren and promoting a legacy of entrepreneurial success for the city.

The ‘Young Chamber UK’ project is a national initiative that sees Sheffield Chamber working with Fir Vale School.

Funded by DfES in partnership with the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, the pilot project aims to provide a dynamic framework for the enterprise needs of 14-19 year olds.

The Chamber is working with Fir Vale to provide a structure for connecting the school’s students with local business through its Chamber network. The structure will be developed around the pupils’ curriculum as well as their activities, interests and goals.

Chamber Contracts Development Manager Debra Foster said: “The students will manage much of the process, with teacher and business support, by forming their own executive groups and developing annual action plans to connect the school with its local business community.”

Additionally, the Chamber is also working with Team BiG to develop a Young Entrepreneurs Club brand across all LEGI schools over a three-year period. This second project kicked off with researching what schools were currently leading on in terms of stimulating enterprise. This has been followed by a series of enterprise workshops for teachers to enhance continued professional development.

Added Debra: “The BiG Young Entrepreneurs Club framework will benefit the future prospects of both the business community and the young residents of that community, while assisting in the goal of the BiG agenda – to create a culture of thriving business start-ups for the city.

 “Young people are full of enthusiasm and are brimming with ideas that are ‘out of the box’! The next James Dyson or Stella McCartney could be right here in Sheffield, but the city has to nurture that potential.

“We hope these two Chamber enterprise initiatives will achieve just that and are relishing the chance to work with the young and creative minds of the city’s next business generation.”