Building enterprise knowledge and skills to unlock talent. Held at CCT Venues-Smithfield, London

Further education is the natural home of enterprise, connecting academic and vocational students with business in a flexible environment. Building both broad enterprise knowledge and specific skills is crucial to unlocking the UK’s entrepreneurial talent and to raising productivity. For FE institutions, building a reputation for enterprise will be vital to drive college improvement, enhance employer engagement, improve student retention and secure funding streams for the future. In the context of the new Enterprise Strategy and the launch of the first National Enterprise Academy, this national conference set out how to embed enterprise right across FE institutions. Ian Hughes, Policy Leader, Enterprise Education at the Department for Children, Schools and Families, talked about the integrated enterprise programmes that were being introduced by schools and the business focus that many of the students now have. "If these young people come to your college and they don't get enterprise opportunities then they'll be disappointed...if they can't link enterprise into their chosen course, then you'll be letting down their expectations", he told delegates.