Aylesbury: Former graduate sets up The Entrepreneurial Education Group

Carly Ward, multi-award-winning businesswoman and former Aylesbury College graduate, is the pioneer behind the new network, The Entrepreneurial Education Group (TEEG), launched recently in the House of Commons.

TEEG’s aim is to help teachers and lecturers to develop the skills and mindsets that make young people more employable, as well as nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurs to start their own business.

The group is the brainchild of YES Education and exam board OCR. YES Education (formerly the Young Entrepreneur Society) was founded by Ward when she was just 19. Now 24, she embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and is a role model for young people wanting to start their own business and an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust. She is determined for more young people to consider starting their own business.

Karen Mitchell, principal of Aylesbury College, commented: “We are so proud of Carly’s entrepreneurial success. Our College is delighted to be a founding member of TEEG and to work with the group supporting our students in starting their own business. Bucks is home to more business start-ups than any other county, and it is great that in partnership with TEEG we can develop our own entrepreneurial students.”

Schools, colleges, universities and other organisations that sign up for TEEG will be able to tap into a wide range of relevant services and benefits including: training for teachers, seminars, relevant qualifications, a directory of approachable employers, business mentors, specialist careers guidance, as well as participation in the National Enterprise Challenge and YES’ 12 Steps to Success programme.

Ward added: “Entrepreneurship is a fantastic and viable career choice for young people and with greater awareness while young people are still in education more businesses will be started. TEEG will give our education sector all the tools they need in order to raise the importance of entrepreneurship and get this message across. If I can do it, anyone can. Entrepreneurs are the life blood of our economy and only entrepreneurs can create real jobs, wealth and prosperity in our competitive world.”