Looking for young entrepreneurs in the West Midlands

Round Midnight and The Princes Trust visited schools throughout the West Midlands to reach out to the next generation of young entrepreneurs.

Princes Trust staff toured schools with the Round Midnight Ltd, who have performed the play ‘I want to be’ for Year 10 and 11 students.

The play tells the story of a fictitious character, Kyle, who leaves school with few qualifications and even less confidence. He wants to be a personal fitness instructor but instead ends up working in a chicken factory with little prospects.

Kyle gets his life back on track when he returns to college and his learning advisor suggests he gets in touch with The Prince's Trust to find out about the Business Programme. He applies for the programme and is given a low interest loan and three years of business mentoring and support. His learning advisor becomes one of his first clients and his business grows so that he starts taking on staff.

“We come across people like Kyle every day,” says Marlena Atkinson from The Prince's Trust. The Trust helps thousands of young people each year who realise their dream of owning their own business. “We believe that all young people have the potential to succeed given the right kind of support and encouragement.”

The Prince's Trust and the Government Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) is working together to encourage disadvantaged young people into business. “We felt that to give maximum reach, something radically different should be tried,” says Marlena. “Round Midnight delivered an amusing and engaging piece of theatre and they held workshops where young people would come up with business ideas and consider how they might be realised.”

Kathy Williams, The Prince's Trust West Midlands regional director said: “Research suggests that social exclusion has a significant impact on the region’s economy. The Prince's Trust is working hard to narrow the gap. The next generation of enterprising talent can be found and nurtured in some of the most unexpected places.”