Young entrepreneurs launch academy

TWO successful young entrepreneurs helped launch the new Peter Jones Enterprise Academy (PJEA) at Warrington Collegiate.
Emma Walker and Grant Ridley both graduated in 2011 with the Extended Diploma in Enterprise and Entrepreneurship.
Emma, star of Junior Apprentice and winner of the PJEA National Ambassador Award, said: “For as long I can remember, I have known that running my own business is all I will ever do.
“My experiences at the PJEA really were the turning point for me and I hope that the launch of Warrington’s Academy will ensure that more young people become business-minded, and are equipped with the right skills to set up their own enterprise.”
Emma currently runs her business, Enterprise Days which provides one day business challenges in schools and colleges.
Grant, National Entrepreneur of the Year, also told of his experiences at PJEA and about starting his creative marketing business GR Marketing and how he is planning the launch of his second business.
Jake Liken, 17, from Latchford, who is studying Performing Arts, said: “It was really inspiring to hear young people making a go of business. It made me realise that there is a lot more out there for me than I thought. This has really helped me decide on what I want to do in the future.”
On opening the PJEA at Warrington Collegiate, Peter Jones CBE, and one of the stars of TV’s Dragons Den, said “I am delighted to be opening an Enterprise Academy at Warrington Collegiate, a fantastic location in an area which has great potential for business growth and development.”