SERC students from a range of courses are benefitting from the Future Founders Programme, established to inspire ambition and entrepreneurship across Northern Ireland’s FE colleges.
The programme, delivered by Young Enterprise NI in partnership with local councils through the Go Succeed Business Support Programme, and now in its second year, got underway at SERC’s Bangor Campus, followed by sessions at Lisburn Campuses, where almost 100 students from Hair and Media Makeup, Hairdressing, Computing, Engineering and Graphic Design courses took part in ideation sessions and team activities.
The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Craig Blaney, welcomed students to the full day Innovation Camp this month in Bangor Campus. He encouraged all the students and spoke about his passion for entrepreneurship.
The Chair of the Regeneration and Growth Committee, Alderman James Baird, at Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council welcomed students to the Innovation Camp at Lisburn Campus, also this month.
The Future Founders programme will conclude in November with the students meeting local entrepreneurs, giving them to opportunity to gain personal insights to their journeys.
Catherine Shipman, Head of Engagement at SERC said, “ At SERC, we are committed to helping our students develop the skills and confidence they need for their future careers. Future Founders provides a great opportunity for participants to explore their creativity, work collaboratively on real-world challenges and learn from the experiences of local entrepreneurs.”
Future Founders is part of a wider initiative delivered across all 11 council areas and all six colleges in Northern Ireland, aimed at building a strong pipeline of entrepreneurial talent.
Go Succeed (www.go-succeed.com) is funded by the UK Government and delivered by local government in Northern Ireland. The service supports entrepreneurs, new starts and existing businesses with easy-to-access advice and support – including mentoring, masterclasses, peer networks, access to grant funding and business planning – at every stage of their growth journey.
