This was one of a number of major announcements made by the Government at yesterday’s launch of Start-Up Britain, an entrepreneur-led campaign engaging the private sector to help unleash a new wave of business startups across the country.

It is NACUE’s firm belief, now shared by Government, that student-led enterprise societies play a critical role in providing students with the inspiration, skills, resources and networks required for business startup or intra-preneurship; creating a generation of more enterprising graduates than ever before.

NACUE has been appointed by Government to Chair a Steering Group on Growth of Enterprise Societies across HE & FE, with members including the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) and the Association of Colleges (AoC). The steering group will provide recommendations to Government on how to enhance student-led activity. Further details will be announced in July with the intention to showcase the activities of new enterprise societies by the end of this year.

NACUE’s CEO Hushpreet Dhaliwal and Policy Director Matt Smith were present at the Start-Up Britain launch to witness the announcements. They were also joined by five leading enterprise society presidents from Universities across the country who were able to relay their work to Prime Minister David Cameron, Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne and many other high profile entrepreneurs.

NACUE sees the announcements made yesterday as a refreshing move forward by Government to see the growth of youth enterprise, placing students at the heart of their enterprise agenda. NACUE envisions the expansion of enterprise societies across Universities and into FE Colleges to be driven at the grassroots level, with societies given the support and resources to catalyse student activity within their institutions, whilst engaging with the wider community to ultimately enhance venture growth and entrepreneurial initiatives on campus.

Commenting on the announcement, NACUE’s CEO Hushpreet Dhaliwal said:

"I am delighted that Government has recognised the tremendous value of student enterprise societies as critical drivers of the UK’s wider enterprise strategy. By engaging entrepreneurs and local businesses, these societies are rewriting the relationship between students and start-ups, providing inspiration, mentoring and training as well as employment opportunities, through innovative new programmes.  

NACUE looks forward to working closely with Government to extend student-led activities across all English universities and into FE. The training, best practice and mentoring that NACUE has developed and refined over the past two years through supporting 70+ university enterprise societies will prove critical in achieving this goal."

Surrey Entrepreneurs President Cameron Wilson, who attended the launch said:

"Today was an extremely exciting day for enterprise societies across the UK. A clear message was sent out from the very top of government on the increasing importance placed on enterprise within universities and it is fantastic to see that NACUE and the represented societies are positioned to take full advantage of the opportunity.”

Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk said:

“We need to inspire young people to strike out on their own, and also give them the practical tools to help. It is vital that everyone has the opportunity to develop their ideas and learn the skills needed to succeed in business.

“Enterprise societies will be run as businesses, engaging with entrepreneurs and delivering the knowledge, networks and skills that students need to start and manage a business. We need more growing companies in this country and the Government is doing everything it can to harness the great enterprising spirit of our nation.”