It looked at attitudes towards entrepreneurship and the desire to be an entrepreneur among youth. The report included both young people who have studied at University and those who did not. The document is well written, visually attractive and includes the research and cases; I recommend that you read it to get the in-depth story.

The main areas covered are:

• The proportion of students who see starting a business as a viable career option

• What motivates generation Z

• The importance of role models

• Parental support

• Perceived barriers to starting a business

• Skills to succeed

The report highlights the vast untapped potential of Britain’s youth. Below we reproduce the main conclusions from the report for those of you who do not have time to read the detail

“We should want to improve the diversity of the entrepreneurial talent pool by closing the gap in start-up rates between young men and women. Unlocking the entrepreneurial talent of under-represented groups will bring fresh perspectives to bear and lead to the creation of new disruptive businesses.

“It raises a number of issues for policymakers to consider. 

“First, Britain’s youth are more likely to be motivated by the desire to be independent or to work on something they are passionate about than by a desire to get rich quick. This should inform the way educators talk about entrepreneurship. Teachers could, for example, discuss with pupils how entrepreneurship can be used to solve pressing social problems.

“Second, young people believe ‘not knowing where to start’ is the biggest barrier preventing them from starting a new business, closely followed by a ‘fear of failure’. Consistent with past research, ‘fear of failure’ was a bigger issue for young women. Creating a safe space for young people to experiment with starting a business might help build confidence and knowledge.

“Third, and perhaps most importantly, we need to promote more relatable entrepreneurial role models. Our polling found that young people are more likely to start businesses if they know an entrepreneur. But most young people are unable to name an entrepreneur who inspires them. Of the entrepreneurs that were named, the vast majority (85%) were male. This is important because past research shows that role models have a greater impact when they are relatable. Closing the gender gap and drawing on a wider range of entrepreneurial talent will require us to champion a more diverse range of entrepreneurs.

“We will all benefit, if we can tap into the vast untapped entrepreneurial potential of Generation Z.”