Vantaa’s summer entrepreneurship programme boosts young people’s confidence in their skills

Vantaa’s summer entrepreneurship programme encouraged young people in Vantaa to try entrepreneurship and test their own business ideas. In summer 2023, a total of 16 Vantaa residents aged 15–29 took part in the programme. Each person selected for the programme received their own mentor and EUR 300 to start a business.

15-year-old Alisa Pernu founded a company called Uinu Design. The company sells scrunchies to cheerleading and skating clubs, but the scrunchies can also be purchased as individual pieces. In addition to scrunchies, Alisa makes soft blade guards for skates and recycled jewellery.

“I established the company before the summer. During the course, I was able to develop my business: I changed the e-commerce platform and made a lot of new products. I am ready to start the new season and deliver teams’ orders to them,” Alisa says, explaining how the course supported her business.

“The meetings and materials of the course helped me develop. We had good discussions between participants. The course gave me confidence in my own capabilities, and I now know more clearly what I will do next,” Alisa says.

The website for Alisa’s company is available at https://uinu.sumupstore.com/.

Participants do not need to have a clear business idea before the start of the programme. Before the start of the summer 2023 programme, the participants were at different stages of their business ideas. Some had already considered the business idea further and had, for example, outlined a business plan. Others had plans so big that their business could not be launched during the summer.

“The young people’s business ideas were really impressive. It was great to see how excited they were about their own ideas and how their enthusiasm spread to other participants,” says Ville-Matti Vilkka, a work coach at SunUra, who coordinated the programme.

“Positive attitudes towards entrepreneurship increased during the training. Young people realised that entrepreneurship can also be part-time or recreational,” says Vilkka.

Next year, the summer entrepreneurship programme for young people will be continued in Vantaa. The application period for the summer 2024 programme will open in January 2024.

“We will announce the start of the application period on our website and social media so that as many young people interested in entrepreneurship as possible will hear about the programme,” says Coordinator Elina Nevala-Pennanen from the Vantaa Employer Services.

^{This article was published in Residents' magazine 4/2023. Read the other articles on the resident magazine home page!}