Enterprise project wins skills award

Set up by registered charity Enterprise UK six years ago, the annual contest is open to all organisations in the country that are "working to create an enterprising place".

This year's winner of the "enterprise culture" category, the Rotherham Ready education programme, aims to teach business skills to schoolchildren as young as four.

Rotherham Council's enterprise projects manager, Jackie Frost, said: "Winning this award is richly-deserved recognition for the effort and passion of everyone involved in developing enterprise in Rotherham.

"Young people in Rotherham need to be enterprising and we thank our schools and colleges, our local businesses and entrepreneurs, and our partners and colleagues from the council that work so hard to help create a culture of enterprise in the town."

Last month, judges visited Rotherham to see the Rotherham Ready scheme in action and interviewed children, students and teachers about the project.

Rotherham Ready project officer Catherine Brentnall, said: "Creating a culture of enterprise is a national aspiration and we have shown in Rotherham how that can be done.

"Over the long term there will never be more entrepreneurs or more business start-ups unless we excite children about these opportunities and help them develop the skills and aspirations to chase them."

Wentworth MP John Healey, who helped to launch Rotherham Ready five years ago, added: "Enterprise has been used as a legitimate learning tool and has put the borough at the forefront of innovative teaching on a global scale, by enabling students to bridge the gap between business and education."