Durban educator pioneers new school for young entrepreneurs

Janice Chetty | image supplied

The programme, which launched in Durban this month, is designed to teach business skills to children aged 10 to 14. The course is aimed at teaching the business skills needed to start up a business or turn a light bulb idea into cash.

“We are passionate about entrepreneurship and believe it is a skill that needs to be learnt from a young age,” she said.

The Future-preneurs school is a passion project for Chetty who has seen her own life be transformed through entrepreneurship. She started her first business, tutoring accounting at the age of 22 with nothing but a goal of raising funds for a car and 500 A5 pamphlets.

She lists entrepreneurship and technology as her main areas of interest and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. In addition to founding Mirriam's Mission, a non-profit company focusing on youth education, Chetty serves as CEO of the training and recruitment firm Dynamic Outlook.

She also works as a corporate trainer and part-time lecturer in addition to managing Dynamic Outlook, a level 1 BBB-EE recruitment and training company that focuses on establishing, growing, and maintaining a culture of diversity and inclusion.

With a career that has a large education element, Chetty has ensured that her school is aligned with the CAPS/IEB syllabus. This syllabus features entrepreneurship as a topic in EMS/accounting.

Topics covered

The Future-preneurs programme includes a variety of topics such as business planning, data collection and analysis, program marketing, innovation, creativity, setting up a company, intellectual property, brainstorming, budgeting, negotiation, product life cycle and much more.

“Not only do we focus on entrepreneurship we have a more holistic approach in ensuring our Future-preneurs are well rounded.

“We focus on mindset, mental health awareness, effective communication, self-esteem and physical health,” she said.

“We have incorporated a fun, exciting Shark Tank-like challenge for all our learners on the program, at the end of the year we will host an event, with well-known accomplished businessmen and women as judges. The winners in the different age categories will receive a cash prize of R5 000 and a trophy.”

For parents who are not sure how or where the programme would fit into their child's current schooling, the school offers a free consultation to help with career guidance.