Chancellor Alistair Darling has delivered Labourâ??s 13th and arguably their most important budget since coming to power in 1997. It comes at a time when not only is a general election looming but Britain is slowly emerging out of a recession.

Having contracted for six consecutive quarters, figures released at the end of February showed the UK economy grew by 0.3% in the last three months of 2009.

The Government is under pressure to continue this growth and set themselves apart from the Conservatives. This budget certainly puts up a fight. Particularly interesting are the measures to increase entrepreneurial attitudes and create job opportunities, but are these just short-term wins and has enough thought gone into the support needed to make them sustainable?

An extra £15 million has been allocated to extend enterprise education into primary schools and Further Education colleges. It is great to see the Government recognise the importance of developing enterprising attitudes early. Since taking up my post at Young Enterprise I have seen the fantastic work that our business volunteers do to inspire children as young as five to think about the world around them. In our long standing experience, allowing children to understand the options they have and introducing them to role models from the world of work adds considerable value to the existing curriculum

Providing vital business skills not only ensures a stronger workforce but enterprising skills and attitudes lead to the creation of new business opportunities which create jobs and reduce unemployment. Business and education need to work together to create a cycle of economic prosperity and Government must lead by example. Politicians need to champion volunteering and create a culture where skills and experience can be passed from one generation to the next in a safe and productive environment.

It is about allowing all young people the opportunity to make the most of their existing skills, gain experience, build confidence and create themselves a better future. Young people have been dramatically affected by the current levels of unemployment and, while it did reach record highs in 2009, a crowded labour market is not synonymous with this recession and will always be something young people face when they leave school.

However, Government alone cannot make the difference, we all need to realise the role we all have in tackling the issues. You cannot underestimate young people’s value to the economy. Industry figures released this month showed that 476,000 new businesses set up in the first 10 months of 2009, with the full-year total likely to rise above the 525,000 start-ups for 2008. This clearly indicates that people are using entrepreneurial skills to show strength in the face of adversity but we need to make sure we nurture this attitude in our young people.

Inspiring and nurturing the next generation of enterprising and employable young people is clearly vital to ensure that we create a sustainable future and prevent future recessions. The benefits of sparking this at a young age should not be under-estimated. There are thousands of young entrepreneurs out there with talent to be nurtured and inspired that will help to create long-term sustainable economic growth.

The £35million University Enterprise Capital Fund does at first seem to be a relatively small allocation but I believe it is well targeted. Giving universities the ability and freedom to support their own business creation can only have a positive effect on the UK’s economy. Funding for the commercialisation of innovations will support entrepreneurship but we must also make sure that we have enough enterprising graduates to make these spin-off businesses a success.

Young Enterprise is committed to delivering enterprise and business skills in Universities to better equip students and graduates for the world of work. Delivered by a team of business volunteers, our Start-up Programme aims to educate, enthuse and excite students about what lies ahead. Volunteer business advisers open young people’s eyes to the world of work, inspiring them to develop the skills and attitudes they need to succeed. With continued funding and support in this area, society as a whole can create a workforce fit to compete in the global economy.

You only have to open any newspaper on any day to see the effects of the current economic climate on businesses across the country. Confidence is down and employment freezes have taken place in almost every industry. As a result, unemployment currently stands at 2.45million, with over 725,000 16-24 year-olds out of work. By fostering an enterprising spirit and encouraging our young people to think about life choices we could realistically drive the recovery forward and halt this worrying rise.

We need enterprising young people to be inspired as they are tomorrow’s leaders; entrepreneurs who will start their own businesses and create employment.

Measures put in place in the budget are a welcome addition to a sector that, as the economy struggles out of a recession, is increasingly important. What we must all now do is realise the role we play in ensuring this money does not go to waste. Simply setting up or continuing initiatives and programmes is not enough. Young people, business and education must inspire each other to succeed. Together we can create the entrepreneurs that will drive the UK economy forward but businesses from across the UK economy will need to get involved if we are to harness the potential of all our young people.

By developing enterprising skills, attributes and behaviours we will empower young people to succeed now and in the future.