Small Business Summer Campaign highlighting local opportunities for young people

A brand-new national careers campaign, Small Business Summer, has been launched by Amazing Apprenticeships with support from the Edge Foundation, aiming to help young people discover the wealth of opportunities offered by small businesses in their local communities. Running throughout the summer term of 2026 (April to July), the initiative is designed for students in Years 7 to 13 and forms part of a wider effort to highlight the benefits of apprenticeships within smaller organisations.

With 99% of UK businesses classed as SMEs, the campaign responds to a growing concern: young people often say they don’t know what jobs exist locally or how to access them. Small Business Summer directly addresses this gap by helping students explore nearby employers, understand the diverse roles available, and learn how small businesses recruit.

Resources for schools and colleges

Schools and colleges across the country can use the flexible resources created for the campaign, which support the Gatsby Benchmarks, especially Benchmark 2 (Learning from career and labour market information). Through a range of classroom activities, including films featuring apprentices in small businesses, students can gain a clearer picture of career pathways in different types of small businesses.

Explore the resources for schools here

Small Business Summer Champion Sarah Barley from The Education Alliance (TEAL) comments:

“We have already taken first steps by highlighting the inclusion of our smaller business owners on our enterprise and entrepreneur walls. Our local business owners stand proudly alongside global innovators. The enterprise wall highlights our relatable role models, individuals who grew up in the same communities as the students and went on to build thriving small businesses. This visibility aims to broaden students’ understanding of entrepreneurship and show that success is achievable at every scale.”

Resources for employers

The campaign also provides tailored guidance for employers, many of whom may be unfamiliar with apprenticeship opportunities or unsure how to connect with local talent. By offering practical resources and showcasing success stories, Small Business Summer aims to help these businesses take the next step in building their workforce.

Explore the resources for employers here

Launch webinar

To launch the campaign, Amazing Apprenticeships hosted a webinar showcasing the full range of resources and practical ideas for using them in different settings. If you missed it, you can catch up by visiting here.

If you would like to stay involved, access campaign resources and receive updates as the campaign rolls out, please complete the short form below.

Small Business Summer – stay informed