YOUNG Enterprise Scotland has been helping young people develop business skills for the past 55 years. It now engages with more than 13,000 people from primary and secondary schools, universities and colleges. Chief executive Geoff Leask joined the organisation in 2012 and his background of running his own business and volunteering has given him the knowledge to support young people before they go into the world of work.

Name: Geoff Leask

Age: 55

Position: Chief executive

WHAT’S THE BUSINESS CALLED?

Young Enterprise Scotland

WHERE IS IT BASED?

Glasgow

WHY WAS THE BUSINESS SET UP?

YOUNG Enterprise Scotland (YES) was set up in 1963 to fill a gap that existed within education by giving practical learning activities in school. It’s about learning by doing and lets young people develop a very useful skill set for the world of work, such as communication, conflict resolution and how to work as part of a team.

In August, I will have been chief executive for five years. I volunteered with the organisation in the Borders for eight years before that. I used to run my own Scottish pubs and restaurants with my brother. If you’re going to support people in enterprise, it helps if you have run your own business in some kind of form. Most of the people in YES have experience of running an enterprise in some way. It’s a great set of skills to have.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

OUR projects include the YES Festival of Youth Enterprise at Hampden Park tomorrow. It will give young people the chance to meet representatives of potential employers, universities and colleges and some of Scotland’s brightest entrepreneurs.

The Circular Economy Challenge project inspires 1,000 primary and secondary pupils to develop sustainable products that can be used for as long as they can. It’s recycling with rocket boosters on it. As well as our Scottish Government initiative where we promote enterprise in schools, we also train up teachers.

There’s also the Bridge 2 Business programme which I set up five years ago. It offers college students opportunities to engage with entrepreneurial role models.

Our investment comes from a variety of sources. We deliver activity on behalf of the national government and local authorities. We also get funding from trusts and foundations that centre around education and employment.

HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?

IT’S a company that walks the walk of enterprise and doesn’t just talk the talk. We like to try new things and are never frightened to fail. If you’re going to encourage people to look at business as an option you have to have that mindset yourself.

WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?

OUR strategic plan is #EnterpriseForAll so we don’t have a particular target market. Enterprise is a great enabler and it shouldn’t matter what your background or level of education is. If you look at successful business people, a lot of them haven’t been successful achievers but they are good at enterprise. We provide context for young people of all backgrounds and at all academic levels

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?

MY favourite thing is when you make young people think about something differently. Many come back to support us as volunteers and go back to schools or colleges to share their experience. They say it helps them shape their mindset about the world of work. It’s all about development of skills that are useful in the world of work.

We engage with young people in the programme and it’s nice to hear anecdotes and stories that helped give them confidence and stories to tell for college, university or work interviews. For instance, in interviews you can often be asked to give an example of a problem you overcame as part of a team or an example of creating something innovative. There are people who did the programme 10 years ago who now run their own businesses – and that’s great to see.

WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?

WE only look three years ahead with our #EnterpriseForAll plan but I think in 10 years we want enterprise education in all schools and colleges across Scotland. We want to expand into more parts of the country by creating an organisation that is sustainable.