Inspire the young or prepare to stagnate

Innovation and enterprise are crucial both for the future aspirations of millions of young people but also for the UK economy.

Vodafone’s survey (Personnel Today, 14 June) highlighted a worrying failure by some organisations to recognise and reward new ideas, when these are the very skills that young people should be encouraged to cultivate. They are entering a world where the cluster of qualities we call enterprise – the capacity to have ideas, spot opportunities and make them happen – is going to be needed more and more.

The old certainties of a structured professional career are fading and young people are facing increased globalised competition, technology change and a need to be flexible and creative within the workplace.

We need to inspire young people to be enterprising and shift the way UK culture views enterprise. Employers can do this by giving young people the encouragement and space to feel the potency of their own creativity to become the kind of people who have ideas and make things happen.

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Without this encouragement the UK risks becoming an unproductive grey landscape of stagnant organisations and unfulfilled employees.

Kevin Steele
Chief executive
Make Your Mark