This week the Conservatives released their new economic model for change. It outlines eight benchmarks they believe are the solution to kick-starting the UK’s economic recovery. These goals include making Britain more competitive with tax and business regulation, cutting youth unemployment and producing a plan to reduce structural deficit. All positive and welcomed proposals but is it enough to ensure we create and nurture an enterprising society and stimulate economic prosperity?

Promoting enterprise is obviously a high priority as under a Conservative government, registering a new business will no longer involve numerous forms but will be a ‘one-click’ model – news that will not only be music to the ears of entrepreneurs across the UK but also to organisations, like Young Enterprise. We are working to encourage and empower the next generation of enterprising young people and by recognising the importance of making business creation as easy as possible, the Conservatives acknowledge the power of enterprise in driving our economy forward.

We must remember, however, that without continued education to give young people employability skills, behaviours and attitudes to be enterprising, the reduction of red tape and implicated costs will not have as much impact as it could.

People are often put off from starting their own business because the perception that setting up can be complicated and expensive, but we should not under-estimate that nervousness exists because people are simply not prepared from an early enough age. We welcome the Conservatives’ plans to create a similar initiative to the Enterprise Allowance Scheme that existed in the 1980s, whereby they plan to build a network of business mentors to would-be entrepreneurs. For years we have been providing a UK-wide network of business volunteers that work with schools to equip young people with the knowledge they need and empower them with the confidence to put enterprise into use long before leaving school.

Making it easier to set up new businesses is a welcome change, as is the reduction of costs for businesses in their first year – what better encouragement for even the least confident young people? But we need people from all types of business, all over the UK, to help us educate these budding entrepreneurs so that they have the confidence to take the plunge, red tape or no red tape.

John May is the chief executive of enterprise education charity, Young Enterprise. To find out more about the organistion, or how you can get involved visit www.young-enterprise.org.uk