Young entrepreneurs from Hull City Councils Making Changes for Careers (MC4C) project will be celebrated at the programme’s annual awards ceremony on Wednesday 11 April at The Guildhall.
The project is part-financed by the European Unions European Social Fund and supported by the Youth Employment Initiative to extend employment opportunities and develop a skilled workforce.
The team has worked with a wide variety of potential young entrepreneurs including designers, hairdressers, crafters, online retailers, gardeners, music teachers and window cleaners to provide them with the skills, information and guidance to explore self-employment.
All those involved with the programme have undergone the Big 13 Enterprise Skills training, helping them to understand the skills needed to be successful in both self-employment and the broader world of work. Many of the young people involved in the programme have applied these skills to their own practices, with some undertaking SAGE accountancy training by Goldings.
MC4C participant Emily Campbell said: It has been so helpful. You get to know things that you never knew you needed, for example how to sort out a domain name, that would have been foreign to me. I wouldnt have understood what it meant.
Its been really helpful and has taught me what I need to be able to run my own business and how to start off. I was also delighted to receive a test market grant from the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank.
Mark Jones MBE, Hull City Councils Director of Regeneration, said: As a city, we are always looking for new ways to create sustainable jobs for our young people. It has been refreshing to see the MC4C programme grow over the past two years, encouraging young people to take action regarding their own futures, within a supportive environment.
By recognising the achievements of our enterprising young people and the inspiring work of the MC4C team, we begin to make strides towards creating a lasting legacy of exciting new digital, creative, arts, crafts, leisure and independent retail businesses and services, which will all in turn contribute to the local economy.
Adam Corbally, motivational speaker, BBC Apprentice Participant and MC4C project patron, said: It has been a pleasure to work alongside the MC4C team and their young entrepreneurs over the past two years.
“Often, self-employment is not discussed with young people as a possible career path, which is why programmes like Making Changes for Careers is so important in challenging stereotypes and showing that young people can make a positive impact upon society, taking control of their own destiny. I have spent time with many of the participants on programme, with the aim to offer inspiration when, in reality, they are the ones that are inspiring. Starting your own business, from experience, I know is not always easy but their hard work, dedication and determination shows that it is far from unobtainable.
For more information, visit www.mc4c.co.uk