Growing the next Apprentices

News Release: Eureka Schools - June 2009

Growing the next Apprentices

Eureka Schools is a business of which Sir Alan Sugar (soon to be the Government’s new Business Tsar) would surely approve!

Based in St Albans, The Eureka Schools programmes offer, fun and interactive workshops that teach children from as young as 9 up to 16 years old the essential financial and business skills needed to survive in today’s competitive world of business.

As with the BBC Apprentice programme, the pupils learn through interactive activities. They explore the origins of trade and business, learn the importance of research and grasp the concept of supply and demand. Pupils also identify their own enterprise skills, consider the benefits of competition in the marketplace and explore the moral dilemmas that businesses face. These engaging lessons allow students to develop life-long personal, social and enterprising skills and attitudes.

Donna Cranny of Eureka Schools says “A Eureka Schools workshop certainly isn’t as gruelling as the 12 weeks that Kate and Yasmina had to endure to reach the final. But the lessons we teach during a Eureka Schools workshop certainly have similarities to those learnt by the Apprentices!”

During the 12 weeks Sir Alan’s apprentices washed cars, chose new products to sell to retailers, sold skeletons to strangers in pubs - and who can forget the creation of Pants Man! At every step along the way candidates failed to grasp the essential nature of the task and heard the immortal words ‘you’re fired’.

Donna Cranny says ‘At Eureka Schools we certainly don’t fire the pupils! Instead we give them the skills and confidence that they can then build on so that one day they will be the one that hears the words ‘You’re Hired”

And now Sir Alan is adding a search for a young apprentice and the programme makers are currently seeking apprentices aged between 16-17 years.

We will have to wait and see if any of Sir Alan’s chosen candidates have the benefit of Eureka’s training!

Eureka is a dynamic training company specialising in delivering tailor-made training courses for primary and secondary schools in financial literacy, enterprise capability and entrepreneurship education.

Their specialised programmes include:

Youth Programmes delivered through in-school classes, workshops, courses and customised programmes that offer participants exciting and engaging activities. These programmes are designed to develop personal finance, investing, entrepreneurial, business and life skills within students of all ages.

Developing life-skills is integral to the programme delivery. All programmes teach practical skills in managing money and preparing young people for jobs. In addition, they raise students' self esteem, confidence, problem-solving ability, motivation and communication skills through challenging games and activities, teamwork and goal setting.