On 22nd November 2024, we welcomed budding young entrepreneurs to the iconic London Stock Exchange (LSEG) to recognise their participation in the Cadets in Enterprise programme. This graduation event celebrated their achievements of the inspiring Army Cadets and RAF Air Cadets, aged 14–16.
The Cadets displayed incredible confidence during the Q&A session, unfazed by the grandeur of the venue or the senior leaders in the room. Despite the weather causing travel disruption, the turnout from supporters was fantastic, and it meant so much to the Cadets to see everyone show up for them.
The 2024 Cadets in Enterprise training, delivered by X-Forces Enterprise (XFE), took place in September with hands-on sessions exploring the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. A few weeks later, the Cadets pitched their business ideas to a panel of corporate leaders in a Dragons’ Den-style event, featuring representatives from organisations including LSEG, NatWest, Cisco, and Pets at Home.
Graduating Cadets represented Army Cadet Unit Saffron Walden, RAF 308 Squadron City of Colchester, and 1483 Squadron Brentwood, with certificates presented by Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, Jackie Allan.
The support of LSEG elevated the event to new heights. As hosts, they not only provided the iconic setting at Paternoster Square but also arranged for the Cadets to participate in the market closing ceremony—a once-in-a-lifetime experience that underscored the significance of their achievements.
At XFE, we are passionate about equipping young people with skills to unlock their potential. While our work has long supported the Armed Forces community, extending this to Cadets has been transformative. This programme—our fourth successful delivery and second LSEG graduation—wouldn’t be possible without the partnership of organisations across Government, Business, and Academia.
To the 2024 #CadetsInEnterprise cohort, congratulations. You are our leaders of the future, and we are inspired by your creativity, resilience, and drive. Watching you thrive in this environment and step forward with such determination is a testament to your huge potential.
In the Cadets’ own words:
- “This is an event I won’t forget for quite a while! Thank you again, I have learned a lot of things at the workshop.”
- “Thank you so much for the event it was spectacular and far succeeded my expectations! It was one of the best things I have done in my cadet career and will help me with my future career massively.”
- “For me, business is probably a topic I will consider in the future and Cadets In Enterprise has affected my understanding of the economy, my ideas of financing and my views on business as a whole.”
- “One thing I enjoyed about the programme was making my presentation because of the freedom that came with it and the ability to go at my own pace.”
- “I think in terms of the future, it’s definitely going to help me to have more skills for any future career path.”
- “I really enjoyed the budgeting part. I think that in the future that will help, not just me but all of the Cadets with managing money. I don’t think we get taught that at school, so I think that’s really important.”
- “I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to take this workshop and learn new things such as the factors that influence customer engagement in terms of geography, demographics, mindset and behaviour. And overall, this programme has led me to consider business studies as an A-Level subject in my future.”
