Fostering youth entrepreneurship for better futures

The Youth Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Schools Pilot Project will support 200 vulnerable young people in Melbourne’s inner north as they research and develop their own socially conscious, green enterprise.

The project provides inspiration while fostering aspirational young people in the pursuit of entrepreneurship as an alternative employment pathway. It brings students, teachers, social entrepreneurs and sustainable businesses together to design and deliver an engaging, future-focused 21st Century curriculum. It will develop skills and vital industry connections, allowing entrepreneurial young people to succeed in business and in life.

The pilot will model the collaborative teaching of entrepreneurship in Victorian schools.

Melbourne’s inner north is home to many young people at risk of falling through the cracks between education, training and employment. The project is designed to reduce the risk of youth unemployment by proving the link between entrepreneurship and effective employment outcomes for suitable young people.

There are currently more than 3,800 people aged 15-24 unemployed in the area, with many more underemployed. Data indicates extremely high rates of job seeking for school leavers with poor rates of transition into apprenticeships and full-time employment. As such, the pilot program will provide enterprise skills to help participants build better futures.