A new Head of Entrepreneurship for Wimbledon High

What are the skills needed in tomorrow’s workplace? How do we encourage an enterprising mindset that allows young people to have a go, take risks and pick themselves up from setbacks?

With all these questions in mind, Wimbledon High School has recruited its first Head of Enterprise, Entrepreneurship and Employability. Dr Sheela Sharma joins the Futures team with over 15 years’ experience in the corporate and start-up sectors, driving business growth and transformational change. She holds an MSc in Neuroscience from the University of Manchester and a DPhil in Clinical Medicine from the University of Oxford.

“I am passionate about instilling both the confidence and skills in young women needed to help them navigate their careers and reach their full potential - from networking and calculated risk-taking to entrepreneurial thinking.

“According to the Rose Review into female entrepreneurship only one in three entrepreneurs in the UK are women, and closing this gender gap could add £250bn in gross value to the UK economy. Imposter syndrome, which stops us taking risks for fear of failure, likely plays a major part in the gender inequality among entrepreneurs. We need to change this and where better to start than Wimbledon High School? Not everyone wants to go into business, granted, but the skills of entrepreneurship (problem solving, creative thinking, leadership and developing financial acumen) will stand all students in good stead as they move to life beyond school.

“We will be looking at new ways of exposing the girls to the multitude of career opportunities available to them and examining how entrepreneurial skills are key to thriving in all workplaces.”

And with brilliant timing, Year 12 will be holding their GROW It’s ok to fail Day next week and Year 6 start the Putting Young Minds to Work enterprise scheme later this month. We’ll report back!