The Bad Idea Organisation participates in My Generation at Work URBACT project in Glasgow. Discover how their approach helps boosting youth enterprising skills through youth enterprise competitions!
There is no such thing as a Bad Idea
This is most definitely true! The Bad Idea Organisation delivers youth enterprise competitions to an impressive number of 150 secondary schools throughout Scotland for “100 individuals in each of the seven cities regions to participate in four one-day workshops designed to turn their creative ideas for products and services into reality, and compete for cash prizes and ongoing business support.” There are a fair number of benefits for the participants: education in the area of enterprise and business modelling techniques as well as training in presenting and networking.
About the Bad Idea Organisation
“Every idea starts with a spark of creativity, ignited by [one’s] imagination,” which is why the Bad Idea Organisation does not believe in bad ideas. A thought that initially starts off as a rather underdeveloped idea can become a successful idea when fine-tuned to meet the market’s demands. The Bad Idea Organisation believes that there needs to be more emphasis on developing job creators through education and not just through employees.
Set up in January 2012, the Bad Idea Organisation aims to meet the demand for more entrepreneurial youngsters in the world of work and supports the transition from education to employment in Scotland. The country is entrapped in the midst of a crisis where child poverty looms over the country with one in five children living in relative poverty and one in four young people falling into the so-called NEET category (Not in Education, Employment or Training).
Its mission is to “inspire entrepreneurial spirit in young people through the celebration of creativity and innovation.” They believe that there is a place for everyone in the world of work after being graduated and feel that training young pupils in entrepreneurial and personal skills will boost their confidence and equip them with the right set of tools to pursue their dreams, and to inspire other youngsters around them. In addition to this, it is increasingly important for young people to create their own opportunities. Merely focusing on employability is not enough to get us all out of this world crisis that we are in.
Read more here!
Bad Idea Award Ceremony April 2014
On the 3rd of April of this year the final of the 2014 Bad Idea Youth Enterprise Competition was celebrated. Hundreds of secondary school pupils across Glasgow sent in their applications and only the most creative ideas were selected to participate in their enterprise workshops last March. 45 pupils competed in the final “for a share of over £5,000 in cash prizes, along with business support to turn their ideas into reality”. All projects can be viewed and supported here.
“This competition is about developing and showcasing the enterprising skills which our young people have, irrespective of their backgrounds, academic abilities and personal situations – it takes as its starting point the creativity of young people and as we all know creativity in itself knows no barriers.”
(Bailie Cameron)
There were between 200 and 300 guests at the final. A mixture of friends, family, neighbours, teachers, business people, entrepreneurs and executives as well as a very special guest Bailie Liz Cameron, who is the Executive Member for Economic Development at Glasgow City Council, attended the event.
This event was the ultimate place to show support for youth enterprise in Scotland and to network with like-minded people from the business community.
Want to know more?
Enthusiastic about this inspiring initiative? Visit their website, like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter! And remember: there is no such thing as a bad idea!
By Anthony Gerrard, Founder of U18 Ltd & BadIdea Organisation C.I.C, is a member of the URBACT Local Support Group of My Generation at Work URBACT Project in Glasgow.
Article initially published in My Generation at Work Newsletter of May 2014. Follow My Generation at Work on Twitter, Like on Facebook, see My Generation at Work Website.
