Entrepreneurs to the fore

These are, indeed, difficult times. But in adversity, we need those who create jobs rather than those who expect to receive them. Enter the world of the entrepreneur.

Tory leader, David Cameron, recognised this in his party conference speech, saying: 'I believe people create jobs, not governments. I understand enterprise and admire entrepreneurs.'

This is why I have chosen entrepreneurship as the specialism for both of my academies, in Darwen and Brighton. We need to instil an 'I can' rather than a 'can I?' attitude into the next generation as early as possible.

Students will be offered the opportunity to start businesses in the Entrepreneurship Centres created within each academy, which will be available for both academy and community use.

Young people will be encouraged to approach the specialism with determination, develop creativity and innovation, form a problem-solving style, evaluate risk, develop team work and, above all else, gain a passion for starting businesses.

The specialism will be fully integrated into the curriculum. For example, in history, students will develop an understanding of past entrepreneurs, and through maths, they will gain the ability to read balance sheets, build cashflow statements and understand sales ledgers. Hopefully, they will be taught in a way more useful for today's needs.

Students will promote these skills within the context of business and in social situations. Social entrepreneurship will be an important part of enterprise learning, developing- the skills, attitudes and qualities associated with business, and apply them to enterprises which will improve society and provide solutions to problems that affect society and communities, especially during such difficult economic times.

At the recent Student Founders' Day to celebrate the opening of the Darwen Aldridge Community Academy, a 12-year-old student asked me, during an open session, if it was possible to be an entrepreneur while still at school.

Of course, I said, this was possible, and gave him examples of where this had happened. Later, he sought me out to say he wanted to restart his grandfather's scaffolding business which had been closed because it had run out of money. It was his intention to build it again. With young people like this, I believe we are in good hands.