The Enterprise and Business Committee is undertaking an inquiry into Youth Entrepreneurship.

The terms of referencefor the inquiry are:

¡  How effective is the Welsh Government’s approach to promoting youth entrepreneurship?

¡  What steps can be taken to improve or strengthen support for potential young entrepreneurs in Wales?

Issues that the Committee is considering as part of these terms of reference include:

¡  What are the experiences of young entrepreneurs in Wales?

¡  What is the scale of Welsh Government resource and funding targeted at the promotion of youth entrepreneurship? Is it sufficient?

¡  What progress has been made in implementing the Welsh Government’s Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy and Action Plan?

¡  How does the Welsh Government’s approach to promoting youth entrepreneurship incorporate issues such as equality, social enterprise and regional variations in skills and training opportunities?

¡  What opportunities are presented by increasing youth entrepreneurship as a means of tackling youth unemployment and inactivity?

¡  To what extent is entrepreneurship embedded within secondary education, further education and higher education institutions in Wales?

¡  What is the evidence base for the Welsh Government’s approach to supporting and encouraging youth entrepreneurship?

¡  How does the Welsh Government monitor and evaluate its youth entrepreneurship activities? What impact has it had on the number of people starting a business?

¡  What examples of good practice in youth entrepreneurship policy can be identified within Wales, more widely within the UK and internationally?

Invitation to contribute to the inquiry

The Committee welcomes responses from both individuals and organisations.

Generally, we ask for submissions to be made in writing because it is normal practice for us to publish evidence on our internet site so that it becomes part of the public record. However, we are also able to accept evidence in audio or video format.

The Committee welcomes contributions in English or Welsh and will consider responses to the inquiry and hold oral evidence sessions during the summer term.

If you wish to submit evidence, please send an electronic copy of your submission to enterprise.committee@wales.gov.uk

Alternatively, you can write to:

Committee Clerk
Enterprise and Business Committee
National Assembly for Wales
Cardiff Bay, CF99 1NA.

Submissions should arrive by 1 May 2013 and should be no more than five pages of A4. It may not be possible to take into account responses received after this date.