Millionaire businessman and Dragons' Den judge Peter Jones has teamed up with the government to launch a network of enterprise academies aimed at identifying the next generation of entrepreneurs.
The first of the new institutions, which are aimed at teenagers aged 16-19, will open in south east England in September 2009. Another centre will then launch in the north west followed by a national roll out of academies.
According to the Phones International boss, who is investing £4m in the scheme, the National Enterprise Academy (NEA) will be a "catalyst for cultural change" in the UK allowing young people "from all educational backgrounds" to be equipped with the skills to succeed in business.
The academies also have the broader remit of raising enterprise awareness among the entire population and boosting the number of female entrepreneurs which are currently unrepresented in the business community.
The initiative is led by the government and forms part of its new enterprise strategy.
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