We asked middle & high school students "What changes do you want to see in Canada regarding young entrepreneurs?" and here is what they said:
I would like to see the development of education of finances to be taught in schools (elementary school through to high school). I know the education system has its flaws, everything does, but this problem is undeniable. Us children are being set up for failure. The only thing that we are taught about money is how to count it, but it will be difficult for us to count our money as we get older because we will be lacking it. This is because of the lack of education about finances in schools. Let me give you a scenario:
You're a young elementary student who has a paper route, babysitting job, and does stuff around the house for money. You get payed 40$ a month.
What will you do with that money? Spend it on stuff you don't need like 10$ coffees, save it to get the new iPhone, or just spend it on useless things that you'll never even use! I see it all the time even with my friends! They're spending their allowance the second it's handed to them. If they would've saved that money, in one year they could've been saving $480 to put towards their future, or starting a business to make more money.
Think about the opportunities, success stories, richer economy, etc., if school boards would start teaching more things like how to budget, what debt is, compound interest, mortgage, car payments, loans, etc., and start teaching it sooner! We would be better educated right-off-the-bat in the things that matter the most.
In conclusion, youth today will be the ones who run the world and make the decisions about your life choices as you get older. Wouldn't you want us to be educated and prosper as leaders of the future?
- Charlotte, Age 13
I would love to see more events and programs, such as Startup Youth, being publicized and created. I believe that the best way to instill innovative passion into the young generation is to expose them to the tops of the field. In this way, they can learn about the journey and the effort required to be an entrepreneur, the risks and the benefits. It also provides them with the chance to ask all their unsolved questions. Experts inspire, and our youth need to be inspired.
- Gordon, Age 16
There are not a lot of opportunities for youth to become entrepreneurs, so they don't have the chance to learn from their mistakes until they are older and their businesses are on a larger scale. If young people have the opportunities to make or be part of small businesses when they are young, then they can make those mistakes on a small scale, learn from them, and hopefully avoid them in larger companies. They can be given these opportunities through programs like Startup Youth, but the problem is no one knows about them. These programs need to be shouted from the rooftops, not whispered quietly over school announcements and emails.
- Ashlyn, Age 16
In Canada, what I want to see more of for youth and young entrepreneurs, is the availability of a larger market for the innovative services and products we create. Canada as a country does not contain an incredibly large population, and it is currently not an economical core within the world. I wish for Canada to continue developing on the global stage as an incubator for future entrepreneurs and businesses, so it may offer them more opportunities. In addition, I personally would like for current business opportunities within the country to be more publicized, so that anyone interested would be made aware.
- Yigga, Age 16
Leave your comments below on the changes you want to see in Canada regarding young entrepreneurs!
