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Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
BBC star says school rewards kids for nodding along and many don't fit in the system
'If you run a company, go back to school. Mentor. Offer a placement. Let a young person shadow you, ask questions, and see what's possible' BACK TO SCHOOL BBC star says school rewards kids for nodding along and many don't fit in the system BBC Scotland's Home of the Year judge Danny Campbell has called for fellow entrepreneurs to return to the classroom. The 33-year-old, who runs his own architect firm HOKO, took part in a new schools initiative called the START programme which connects senior school pupils with business mentors to help them pitch and develop real startup ideas. 3 Kids only learn to nod along in class, says Danny Campbell. 3 Danny Campbell is a co-host on Scotland's Home of the Year. START Founder, Phil Ford, said: 'There's no better way to feel equipped with the necessary skills and mindsets to be an entrepreneur than by spending time with one.' Here, Danny Campbell, explains why schools fail to hit the mark when it comes to developing business leaders of the future. I WISH I could go back in time and speak to my 15-year-old self and tell him not to go to uni – start a business instead. Recently, I've gone back to school, mentoring pupils at John Paul Academy in Glasgow through START – a programme that gives young people the chance to build and pitch real business ideas, matched with mentors who've been there and done it. It struck me how little access many pupils have to this kind of thinking. A lot of them still believe starting a business is something for other people. It feels far away. But all it takes is one person to say: 'This could be you'. Now, two pupils are coming to intern at my architecture company, HOKO. It's a great opportunity for them, but they'll give us as much as we give them. They're smart, sharp, and curious. They'll bring a fresh perspective and help us question our assumptions. And for them, they'll see that entrepreneurship isn't some far-off dream. Some of the most successful business owners I know hated school. Many had ADHD, couldn't sit still, got told off for not paying attention. But give them real-world problems to solve, and the chance to think on their feet, and they fly. School rewards you for memorising and nodding along. Business rewards you for figuring things out. I've seen that contrast play out in my own family. My younger brother Duncan was one of the most talented people I've ever known. Before he passed away (last August from neoplasm brain cancer) he became an incredible actor and author. But at school, he was misunderstood. The system didn't know what to do with his creativity, and it slowly chipped away at it. I think about him constantly. I think about how many young people today don't fit within the system and wrongly believe they're not good enough, just because they don't tick the right boxes. My own experience, my brother's experience, and the children I've worked with through START have all shaped how I parent my eight-year-old son, Teddy. He loves Minecraft and YouTube. But I didn't want to just hand him an iPad and let him scroll. Instead, we turned it into a project. He had to create something. A series of videos he recorded and edited himself. He learned structure, patience, and how to take feedback. Now we're turning that into a mock business. Logo, a strategy. We're not going to post it – the learning is by doing. In this safe environment he'll work through the messy mistakes early, learning that he can take control of his own ideas and run with them. That's what most kids are missing today - real-world experiences that build belief. Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation argues that we've removed all the safe, practical risks that used to teach resilience – climbing trees, walking to the shop, knocking on doors – and replaced them with hours online, scrolling alone and unguarded. I am the way I am because I was allowed to live in the real world. When I was 10, I walked into a café in Garelochhead and asked if I could wash their customers' cars. I charged £2.50, donated 50p to charity, and got my mate involved to scale the operation. We were rubbish at it, but I made enough money to buy my mum a horribly tacky dolphin ring with the profits. I learned how to ask. I learned how to use what I had - my age, my cheek, my energy. That one summer gave me more belief and experience than years of school ever did. But far too often now, kids are trained to be passive – either sitting and scrolling, or sitting and nodding. They deserve the chance to build a product, pitch an idea, or work on a team. Programmes like START are about showing young people there's more than one path. And this is my call to other business owners. If you run a company, go back to school. Mentor. Offer a placement. Let a young person shadow you, ask questions, and see what's possible. Entrepreneurs are builders. Job creators. Problem-solvers. The government and education system should be actively encouraging them to get into the classroom – and entrepreneurs should grab any opportunity to do so. If we want to improve the future, start with a classroom. We need more entrepreneurs back in schools to show that it can be done. Because if they don't see it, they won't believe it. *To find out more visit:
The Herald Scotland
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Home of the Year judge in plea for START programme help
He took part in the Glasgow-founded education initiative and it was so successful that two students from the programme have secured internships at his growing architecture firm, HOKO. Now the 33-year-old is hoping others follow suit and begin helping out in the START programme too. START is a project-based learning programme for final year school students that attempts to harness the tools and mindsets of design, entrepreneurship and storytelling to bring the experience of participating in a startup to Scottish schools. It was launched by the High School of Glasgow and it is set to expand to more than 12 schools later this year. Read More Scottish Government slashes targets for closing primary school attainment gap Mr Campbell said: 'Going back to school has been one of the most energising experiences of my career. The ideas, energy and ambition these young people brought to the table were incredible. 'A lot of people think you're there to teach – but I learned just as much. Seeing business through their eyes reminded me why I started in the first place. It's a two-way street: you help them, and they absolutely help you. It's access to a younger perspective, a new mindset, fresh energy and the chance to play a role in someone's first steps towards building a business.' START Founder, Phil Ford, said: 'START is all about inspiring the next generation of business leaders and innovators. It encourages young people to draw on their own experiences and passions to identify real-world problems and to then solve them by creating new products or services which they pitch in a 'pre-seed investment round' to industry experts. 'We've witnessed the programme igniting entrepreneurial ambition in school leavers with 98% of this year's cohort saying that participating in START has encouraged them to consider starting a business in the future. 'A huge part of the confidence instilled in pupils is thanks to exposure to founders via the mentoring aspect of the programme. There's no better way to feel equipped with the necessary skills and mindsets to be an entrepreneur than by spending time with one: getting under the bonnet of a startup and learning what it takes to build a business first-hand. The pupils at John Paul Academy were helped immensely by Danny's insight, knowledge and enthusiasm and I watched them flourish under his counsel.' Mr Campbell added: 'The team at John Paul Academy completely threw themselves into the challenge. I'm excited to have one of them join HOKO this summer — they really earned it. 'They were sharp, motivated, full of ideas, and I've no doubt they'll bring something new to the team ''We often talk about building future talent pipelines — this is how you do it. You open the door earlier. You build relationships that last. You give people a chance. 'This isn't about criticising the system, it's about creating more routes in. 'As a dad of three young boys, their futures and education is something I think about a lot, and I am actively encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset already. 'Not everyone's path will be university. And that's OK. We need a landscape where young people see multiple routes to success — whether that's higher education, apprenticeships, starting their own thing or joining a growing business to get real world experience. 'As business leaders, we have something to offer. We have something to gain too. A half-day spent mentoring could change someone's life. But it could also spark something in you.' START is growing and is due to be offered to at least 12 schools in Scotland from August. There are still some mentorship opportunities available, get in touch to find out more:
