Determined to Succeed

Learning and Teaching> Determined to Succeed

Determined to Succeed - What is DtS

Determined to Succeed is the Scottish Government’s strategy for enterprise in education, through which young people will become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.

There are four key strands of entitlement for children and young people within enterprise in education, as outlined by Determined to Succeed:

Enterprising teaching and learning
Entrepreneurial learning
Work-based vocational learning
Career education

Enterprising Teaching and Learning

Determined to Succeed isn’t about teaching enterprise as a subject - it’s not just a one-off activity. It’s about taking an enterprising approach to teaching, encouraging all young people to learn and develop in a way that meets their needs.

Enterprising teaching and learning enables young people to develop enterprising skills, attitudes and creative approaches to learning right across the curriculum.

By adopting an enterprising approach to teaching and learning, you can change attitudes, release potential and ensure young people can become creative, innovative and enterprising - in short, effective contributors, successful learners, responsible citizens and confident individuals.

Entrepreneurial learning

In the context of Determined to Succeed, entrepreneurial learning involves 'learning by doing'.
Setting up and running a company is something that children and young people of all ages will benefit from. But it isn't just about setting up in business. It is about giving young people the chance to experience real business and work-related learning through entrepreneurial enterprise activities.

Entrepreneurial learning also allows all children and young people to develop a range of skills through 'hands-on' participation.
These skills are valuable for future employees, employers and entrepreneurs, and link to all subjects right across the curriculum.

Work-based Vocational Learning

Work-based vocational learning offers young people the opportunity to support their classroom learning by gaining practical skills in the workplace, and ultimately allowing them to achieve a recognised qualification.

In the context of Determined to Succeed, it is about enabling young people to experience and develop an understanding of the world of work, supported by employers and teachers who can contextualise the learning.


Employers who take part in work-based vocational learning often do so because they can see real benefits for their business. In the short term, working with young people allows employers to capture new ideas and fresh enthusiasm. In the long term, employers are contributing to the skills young people need to develop as future employees or employers.

Career Education

Career education involves enthusing children and young people about the world of work, helping them to make connections between learning and work, and equipping them with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their future at every stage of their learning.

Children and young people are better able to make important decisions about their future by getting to know their own strengths and areas for improvement, exploring how they relate to other people and considering what they hope to achieve.

Children and young people begin to form ideas and pictures of work from the people and images they come into contact with from an early age; however, these may not always be accurate. Through appropriately focused career education, you can challenge these misconceptions. Crucially, involving employers allows children and young people to make contact with real people in real jobs and to explore what skills and qualifications are needed.

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