December #EntEd news from EEUK members

Written by Kate Beresford

 

23 Welsh FE and HE institutions: Online marketplace

An all-Wales online student marketplace has launched in time for Christmas. The project is a partnership between Welsh Government and 23 Further Education and Higher Education institutions in Wales. The site showcases student retailers who cannot trade on campus as normal. Potentially, this represents the first ever national online student marketplace. Unlike a traditional trade event that features vendors selling physical products the site includes service-based businesses. The site will remain live beyond Christmas and will be a key resource for students validating and growing a new business in Wales. Visit the marketplace site to find out more.

 

Aston: Two major awards in one month

Aston University, our host and platinum sponsor for IEEC2021, has lifted the Outstanding Entrepreneurial University trophy at the sixteenth annual THE Awards. The University’s “strategic” and “inclusive” cross-institutional approach to supporting businesses, the West Midlands region and student entrepreneurship impressed the judges in this category. But not content with one award, Aston University has also won top honour of University of the Year 2020 in The Guardian awards. Graduate Employability, Equality and Sustainability played key part in the selection criteria.

 

Manchester: Women empowered to embrace their entrepreneurial spirit

Female entrepreneurship is on the rise in the UK, and The University of Manchester continues to support female entrepreneurs at a grassroots level. The University hosted their annual She’s the Business last month with phenomenal success. Taking place virtually, the event reached over 400 budding-entrepreneurs and female leaders from across campus and the Greater Manchester area, who came together to listen and learn from a range of exceptional business women. In tune with MEC’s ethos of ‘Entrepreneurship for All’, the event offered learning opportunities for all participants, regardless of their confidence with entrepreneurship. For some, She’s the Business was about learning more about being enterprising and developing their entrepreneurial mind-set. For others, it was about exploring ways to promote and grow their own businesses.

 

University of Strathclyde Inspires!

Last month, The University of Strathclyde introduced their new sector-leading Entrepreneurship Strategy for 2020 – 2025. The publication maps out a significant scaling up of their activities and opportunities for staff, students and alumni and will transform how they support and encourage entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial thinking and entrepreneurial ventures. At the heart of the strategy is the recognition that entrepreneurship is about so much more than starting and growing a business. As a socially progressive University, they are opening up entrepreneurship for all, challenging staff and students to grab opportunities and develop an entrepreneurial mindset, whatever their situation or ambition. The ambitious plans for entrepreneurship at Strathclyde will be realised through the Strathclyde Inspire programme.

 

Huddersfield: Investment Readiness Programme Five Year Impact Report

The University of Huddersfield’s Enterprise Team has always striven to provide the best support possible for its emerging entrepreneurial students and graduates. Wherever additional value can be created, it actively seeks collaborative opportunities with external partners and from 2008 to 2013, was the lead partner in the ERDF funded, Graduate Entrepreneurship Programme. With such a history of collaboration, it made sense to maximize the value of a newly proposed ICAEW Investment Readiness Programme, by introducing it across the Yorkshire region and its universities. Five years after its inception, this Impact Report gives insight to the programme and its participants.

 

UCL: Unique festive gift ideas

From mechanical wooden toys for young children to an advanced artificial intelligence (AI) camera, UCL’s startups have got your online festive shopping covered. UCL Innovation & Enterprise supports a diverse range of startups from their entrepreneurial community of students, staff and alumni. These talented, driven founders create products that make unique gifts for this festive period. They have picked out some of the best to suit all tastes and interests. With shopping and gift-giving in person likely to be restricted, these ideas can be bought or pre-ordered online. Support a UCL entrepreneur this festive season at this link.

 

Buckingham: New MSc in Applied Enterprise and Innovation.

We want to give students the chance to go a step further in building the skills that employers are looking for. The course will explore the competencies that 81% of UK businesses consider to be the most important to succeed in the commercial world, such as understanding the commercial world, creativity, planning, selling and leadership’ explains Professor Nigel Adams, Director of BEIU. Survation has previously reported that it found just 13% of graduates were seen by HR as ‘ready to hit the ground running’ when entering the workplace. Students on the MSc will be researching and studying, in depth, academic theories and models. They will also work on real, practical projects with local and regional companies. More information here.