Why firms should actively invest in young people

This article was written by Harris Westminster alumnus Nadima Begum.

My whole life, and I really do mean my whole life, I have always focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Whether or not I had the vocabulary for it, it was always my passion. I went from loving science and maths to astrophysics and ending with chemistry — my current degree. It was during my shift from physics to chemistry at sixth form that I was introduced to Elixirr in early 2019. 

As a student at Harris Westminster Sixth Form, we take part in cultural perspectives – a chosen extracurricular course composed of one class per week, for a term, that encourages students to explore subjects beyond the curriculum. In January 2019, I joined the cultural perspective run by Elixirr. I saw it as a chance to gain new skills I might not have otherwise picked up whilst studying STEM subjects; namely, broadening my entrepreneurial and business skills. 

You don’t often see companies like Elixirr partnering with schools and sixth forms in the way they partnered with Harris Westminster. Uniquely, whilst Elixirr were very involved in the process, the way the class was taught meant we were able, and encouraged, to develop our ideas independently. The structure of the program meant we could take our ideas and process them in a logical manner – that of a design sprint — so we could understand which ideas were viable and ultimately work out how we could develop these into a potential product or service.

Being a part of the course taught me that any idea can become something bigger; it doesn’t matter if it seems impossible, it is still worth exploring.

Being a part of the course taught me that any idea can become something bigger; it doesn’t matter if it seems impossible, it is still worth exploring. My group and I focused on the tutoring industry — one that was already quite saturated, but we managed to find a gap that we could potentially market to. Most of the tutoring industry revolved around regular scheduled sessions, but our group explored the idea of creating a platform to acquire emergency tutoring lessons. Entrepreneurialism is all about finding that niche, or something that isn’t currently being offered, whether it’s developing a new product or service or tackling an issue with a new attitude in the hopes to bring about positive change. I have really tried to keep this spirit with me in everything I do and in whatever career path I might choose. 

Having Elixirr partner with Harris Westminster exposed me to a whole new industry and introduced me to people I would end up reconnecting with almost two and a half years later. Reflecting on this experience has made me realize how important it is for companies to partner with young people and introduce them to industries they might not have known of or been exposed to otherwise. This is especially important as we start thinking about next steps like university, or in my case, a career. Being taught about things that aren’t necessarily vocational, like consulting, and being given the tools to think about how we could come up with the next big thing is also valuable and something that could have a real impact on the issues of today.

Reflecting on this experience has made me realize how important it is for companies to partner with young people and introduce them to industries that they might not have known of or been exposed to.

For me personally, the program also really helped me develop soft skills like presenting, which is one that I hadn’t had many chances to develop previously. At the end of the program, we presented back to real investors which prepared me for what it’s like to pitch ideas and receive constructive feedback. 

It’s easy to get tunnel vision when it comes to thinking about careers. I used to think I could only pursue a career directly related to my field of study, chemistry. Being introduced to the business world at this stage of my life has helped me shape my view on what I can make of my career and the variety of paths ahead of me.