"I'm going to be my own boss!"
National Citizen Service (NCS) have revealed that almost three quarters of British teens have concerns about getting a good job with over half having considered setting up their own business to get ahead.
British teens are more technologically savvy than ever before and almost three quarters believe that the rise of mobile technology and social media have made it easier for young people to set up their own business.
The generation of technological pros face a number of obstacles when starting up a new business, with the lack of funding being the main problem . Almost seven in ten teens do not believe that they have the relevant skills they need to run a successful business and six in ten do not think they have developed leadership skills.
National Citizen Service- who help 16-17 year olds boost their confidence and leadership skills through a flagship programme which provides an independent evaluation- found that over nine in ten who took part in NCS felt they had developed useful skills for the future and nearly three-quarters felt more confident about getting a job in the future.
Stephen Greene, chair of NCS Trust said: “Whilst many young people are worried about their future, it’s great to see the positivity that this generation is showing by taking matters into their own hands. As confidence seems to be one of the major barriers that this generation has, we know that NCS helps teenagers get ahead, building the confidence and team skills they need, whilst adding to their CV and UCAS applications”.
Greene continued: “NCS allows teens to get involved and gain the tools, skills and belief to unlock their potential while making a positive impact in their communities. With fees for parents capped at just £50 or less, and bursaries available on a case by case basis, NCS also represents great value for money for parents. The summer programme is well under way, so parents can now sign up their teens for autumn at ncsyes.co.uk”.
The research also found what the priorities of British teens would be if they were to be successful entrepreneurs with 21% stating that helping their parents pay back their mortgage would be most important to them. The study also found that British teens ranked 'giving something back to the community' and 'being able to take part in charity work' more important than going on luxurious holidays, buying a flash car, buying nice clothes and not having to pay rent.