Teenagers in one of London’s most impoverished and neglected neighborhoods are being inspired by an award-winning businessman who had been written off by educators as a hopeless case.
In addition to providing a $100,000 “Entrepreneur Fund,” Jamie Fraser, who has grown his recruitment company to be worth £75 million, wants to provide young people from underprivileged areas the chance to start a profitable company.
The 28-year-old, who started his business in a small office with just one phone after graduating from high school with four GCSEs, wants to build platforms and pathways that will make it simpler for young people to pursue careers.
The CEO was invited to give a speech to students before the summer break and during the introduction of the new intake at the start of the September term by instructors at Morley College London, which has a student body that includes those who have struggled with mainstream education. Learners will be able to apply to the fund to receive financial assistance for their projects as well as mentoring.
The College, located in North Kensington, London, is adjacent to the 2017 fire-devastated Grenfell Tower. It has partnered with the adjacent Portobello Business Centre to support families in their efforts to start over.
“I have a lot of faith in the perseverance and hard work of people. Jamie, whose InterEx company, a staffing firm that specializes in tech, cloud, cyber security, and delivery of projects sectors, has offices in London, New York, and Miami, said, “I am constantly willing to give any person with young skills or someone who wants to be a business owner a chance to make a concept out of their life.”
Jamie, an Essex native who had a difficult childhood and school career, received a chance by the boss of a recruitment agency who hired him despite his lack of training and experience. “Someone gambled on me because they saw something in me. It was important that they trusted me, he continued.
“That’s the kind of involvement I want to take place in other people’s lives—to show people that they can succeed and to provide them with guidance to do so, provided they are willing to put in the necessary amount of effort.” He has invested £100,000 in his Entrepreneur Fund and will conduct interviews with potential candidates before the Fund’s introduction on the Portobello Business Centre website the following month.
Many of our students want to be entrepreneurs, but they occasionally lack the support or connections needed to realize their dreams, according to Lucy Reese, course area director for English at Morley College. I am certain that hearing directly from Jamie about what he believes was the key to his success would be extremely beneficial for them.
“We are thrilled to be working with the partners at Morley College London to support the launch of Jamie’s grant program for aspiring young entrepreneurs,” said Simon Shimmens, CEO of Portobello Business Centre (PBC).
“Start-up finance is frequently quite challenging to secure for young individuals with aspirations of self-employment or launching their own enterprises, as we know at PBC. However, Jamie will definitely inspire young adults with his own achievement and provides a terrific opportunity for them to submit an application for funding to help them accomplish their aspirations. We support these people through workshops, courses, and programs.