The Spirit Of Enterprise Part III

During recent years there has been increasing evidence of the emergence of two different economies: one where businesses succeed and people have jobs; another where businesses fail and people lose jobs.

The former dominates the news on a daily basis, as governments and politicians make efforts to support business and create jobs.

The latter is more difficult to address, as traditional solutions are less effective and in some cases simply no longer work.

However, there is an organisation that has been working to provide solutions for over 180 years and, ironically, its work is needed now more than ever.

The St Vincent de Paul Society was founded in Paris in 1833 and has had an active presence in countless towns and cities around the world.

Its original mission was to provide food and fuel for those in need and the same mission holds true today, as it works to support a growing number of people and families.

It carries out a range of activities and fund raising events but its core work consists of visiting people in their homes to offer advice and assistance.

The volunteers see at first hand the reality of the emerging two-tier economy, as many visits are to people without jobs or sufficiently well paid jobs to meet their household bills.

The challenge is to bridge the gap between what is increasingly the growth of two different, disconnected and separate economies.

The challenge is not new but has increased in recent years and is developing a new sense of urgency given the scale and depth of the issues people face.

Similarly, the solutions are not new, as they include better education and health, greater financial security, improved housing and ultimately training for employment, jobs and new business creation.

The real issue for government is to understand where future jobs and new businesses will come from and how to retrain and reskill people to the levels required.

The St Vincent de Paul Society will, no doubt, continue its work as it has done for almost two hundred years but more support for the service and new thinking in relation to job creation is needed if meaningful progress is to be made.

SO, as we see the emergence of two different economies it is time to ensure that both are given the attention and resources they need.

What about you?  Do you have the spirit of enterprise?  Get in touch, we would love to hear your views contact Nick on 028 8224 9494 or via Twitter @nick_oec.