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More than 2,500 young people have taken part in a enterprise programme designed to introduce them to entrepreneurship over the past year. The Future Founders initiative, run by Go Succeed in partnership with Young Enterprise NI, has engaged 2,583 students through a series of interactive workshops since launching twelve months ago.
The programme was delivered in partnership with all 11 councils in the north and the region's six further education colleges, and was structured around three key elements. These consisted of an introduction to entrepreneurship, an Innovation Camp in which students worked in teams to develop a business idea and pitch it in a Dragons' Den style format, and an Entrepreneurship Hub where participants met and learned directly from local entrepreneurs alongside their academic studies.
Carol Fitzsimons MBE, Chief Executive of Young Enterprise NI, said the organisation had seen the creativity, confidence and potential of young people throughout the year. "Future Founders has provided a platform for students to develop essential skills such as teamwork, problem-solving and communication, while also opening their eyes to the opportunities that entrepreneurship can offer," she said. She added that the programme was about nurturing a generation of innovative thinkers and leaders who could make a meaningful impact within their communities and beyond, and said Young Enterprise NI was proud to work alongside Go Succeed and its partners to continue inspiring the next generation.
Alderman Thomas Gordon, Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, which is delivering the programme on behalf of Go Succeed, said the initiative gave young people in Northern Ireland the confidence to explore entrepreneurship and consider launching their own businesses. "We are incredibly proud to deliver programmes like Future Founders, which give young people in Northern Ireland the confidence to explore entrepreneurship and consider launching their own businesses, knowing they have the support of initiatives like Go Succeed NI and Young Enterprise NI behind them," he said. He added that by providing young people with the tools, networks and confidence to explore enterprise, the partners were building the foundations for a stronger, more innovative economy for the region.
Joanne McCourt, Principal Lecturer and Entrepreneurship Hub Manager for the FE Sector at Northern Regional College, said the success of Future Founders over the past year highlighted the importance of embedding entrepreneurship within further education. "Our students have greatly benefitted from engaging directly with entrepreneurs, gaining practical insights and developing skills that will support them in their future careers," she said. She said programmes of this kind helped to bridge the gap between education and industry, ensuring young people were inspired as well as equipped with the knowledge and confidence to succeed in an evolving world of work.
Future Founders took place at campuses in all six further education colleges in Northern Ireland: Southern Regional College, Belfast Metropolitan College, North West Regional College, Northern Regional College, South Eastern Regional College and South West College.
