LONDON, March 11 /PRNewswire/ --

- Boardroom Meets Classroom in New National Enterprise Academy

Entrepreneur and 'Dragon's Den' judge Peter Jones has today unveiled a plan to shift the boardroom firmly into the classroom by establishing a new National Enterprise Academy, dedicated to unlocking entrepreneurial talent among teenagers from all educational backgrounds.

The doors to the National Enterprise Academy (NEA) will officially open to its first 16-plus students from September 2009 - after the completely new course in entrepreneurship has been rigorously tested, including being put through its paces with a test group of students early next year.

The NEA's mission, according to Jones, is to be a catalyst for cultural change in the UK that encourages and stimulates more entrepreneurial activity - as well as providing young people with the skills and confidence to aim higher and be more successful in relation to enterprise in the workplace or starting their own businesses.

The plan has been welcomed by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and is one of the priority stated aims set out in the Government's new Enterprise Strategy. The set up and running costs of the NEA in its first three years are estimated to be in the region of GBP8million, to be funded through an initial capital investment from Government of between GBP3-to-GBP4million, with the remainder coming from Peter Jones through his charitable foundation and other sources.

John Hutton, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform added his support and said: "I want the UK to be the most enterprising economy in the world - and to achieve that we must unlock this country's talent. With Peter Jones' backing and experience, this National Enterprise Academy will bring the right qualifications and skills to the UK's next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs.

"Britain is already one of the best places in the world to start and grow a business. But we need to do more if we're catch up with the levels of entrepreneurship in the US. And that's why tomorrow we will unveil our new Enterprise Strategy setting out what Government and business can do over the next 10 years to boost the culture of enterprise in the UK."

Peter Jones said: "There is a stark difference in the entrepreneurial mindset between the UK and the US. Here, there tends to be a 'can I?' approach, whereas in the US the 'I can' belief is instilled from an early age. If the UK economy is to become a world leader in business, we need to create the right learning environment for all our children, where their talents can be developed so they can go out into the workplace or business and prosper.

"I am delighted to have achieved such strong support for my academy and I applaud and appreciate the Prime Minister Gordon Brown's personal interest and action in helping me get it off the ground."

"As an entrepreneur, when you really want to make something happen, there is a tendency to go it alone when pursuing opportunities, but for the NEA to deliver a lasting positive impact to its students and UK PLC I greatly value the opportunity to work closely with the Department for Business and Enterprise and the Regional Development Agencies and other public bodies and other organisations which have an interest in the area of enterprise education and business support."

The NEA is a long-held dream of entrepreneur Jones, who as well as running a multi-million pound business empire has become widely known as the popular yet straight-talking judge on the BBC2 show "Dragons' Den". His television work has also taken him to the US with "American Inventor," which can currently be seen in the UK on Virgin 1.

The Plans for the NEA have won further support from some of the UK's largest employers, industry representatives and the higher education sector.

Andy Bond, Chief Executive of Asda, commented: "I think a National Enterprise Academy that is giving teenagers a talent toolkit for entrepreneurialism is a fantastic idea. Softer skills that are more aligned to the workplace such as communication and problem-solving are vital for a front-line customer facing business like ours, and I personally can't wait to meet and interview its first crop of qualified students."

Bill Murphy, Managing Director, BT Business said: "We applaud Peter Jones' National Enterprise Academy concept with its focus on unlocking the entrepreneurial talents of the nation's young people, and we look forward to working with the future generation of innovative employees and businesses it aims to encourage."

Prof. Michael Luger, Dean of the Manchester Business School at The University of Manchester, said: "The National Enterprise Academy plan could not be better conceived or better timed. 16 to 18 year olds are a tremendous potential source of innovation in society. Peter's approach - to put these young people into a learning environment with working entrepreneurs - will likely generate some commercial opportunities, but just as importantly, help the students appreciate what further specific and focussed education can do for their careers. We have been talking to Peter directly about how Manchester Business School can work with him as part of our own enterprise leadership ambitions, especially as the future plans for the Academy include the establishment of a base in the North West."

Media Contact: In the first instance, please contact Peter Jones' Office directly on: T: +44-(0)203-170-7347 Or, alternatively, contact Eric White on M: +44-(0)7766 478699 E: eric@pj.tv