The Kent chairman of a charity which helps young people enter the world of business has called on the government to relieve pressure on schools and give them more time to teach about entrepreneurship.

Bernard Spring said it was a “tragedy” that more sixth formers could not take part in programmes run by Young Enterprise, which runs national and international competitions where students set up and run their own company.

Last month, a business launched by young people in Ashford was named winner of the Kent final and will take on other companies in the South East later this month.

Green Shoots, run by 11 business studies classmates at Highworth Grammar School for Girls, was named the county’s champion for making money by turning wooden pallets into coasters and plaques.

Founded in 1963 to forge links between school and industry, this year saw 34 teams from Kent enter Young Enterprise, the same number as a year earlier and down slightly from 35 in 2014 and 40 in 2013.

Kent chairman Mr Spring said: “Every kid in Kent should get this opportunity and the frustration for me is that we can’t get more schools on board.

When you see what the kids are capable of, it makes you think everyone should get this chance.

“I understand the issue with schools. It is a challenge to deliver what central government says they have to deliver. Unfortunately, enterprise isn’t high enough on the scale.

“Kent has 56,000 small businesses and is renowned for it. Things like Young Enterprise allow kids to get used to business when they are at a school and develop their communication, presentation and social skills.

“When they leave school, these ones who have entered Young Enterprise will hit the ground running. If we don’t raise enterprise up the ladder, that will not happen for a lot of kids and that is a tragedy but I don’t blame schools.”

Kent County Council economic development chief Cllr Mark Dance presented the winner’s trophy to Green Shoots at the final at Oakwood House in Maidstone on Wednesday, May 4.

He said: “Schools don’t have time to do this with curriculums so tight.

“It’s unfair to send people straight to a job with no introduction to the world of work and organisations like Young Enterprise and the Kent Foundation are really getting in there.”

Formed at the beginning of the school year, Green Shoots has sold 160 products, generating £1,287 of revenue.

Managing director Ben Wood, from Appledore, said: “The Young Enterprise experience has been brilliant. We’ve learned so much and all managed to grow as people.

It’s really opened our minds and helped us in school with our business A-levels.”

The team will now go through to the Young Enterprise South East final in Dorking on Wednesday, June 15, where it will be joined by the Kent final runner up .Dott, a manufacturer and seller of handmade greeting cards run by 13 students from Walthamstow Hall School in Sevenoaks.

They then have the chance to progress to national and European finals later this year.