Enterprise Week success thanks to influential figures

Enterprise Week took place at @BordersCollege recently, offering a range of programmes and workshops that support career education, and the initiative has been hailed a resounding success.

Local businesses and influential figures came and shared their career journeys with staff and students from different sectors and gave open and honest accounts of the challenges faced, as well as sharing their achievements.

They were inspirational with their words of advice and highlighted opportunities for work experience and mentoring. During the sessions, tasks were set for students to help identify their entrepreneurial skills, and they were given the opportunity to engage with the speakers and ask questions.

The College worked alongside South of Scotland Enterprise and Business Gateway to provide these engaging experiences for all learners across the college.

Commenting on the series of events, HND Business student Isabel Cheer said:

“I have really enjoyed Enterprise Week, particularly as there were so many ties with what we have been learning on the whole course – it really helped to pull all those ideas together. What a great variety of speakers and companies, and covering so many aspects – different legal entities, micro and macro environments, business planning and strategy, marketing and using the best channels to do this, and even job costing (courtesy of Jane and Glow and Be!).

“I was really interested in the human side too, highlighting the different qualities needed for success such as resilience, being passionate about what you were doing and how a business idea can come from something as simple as not being able to find something that you feel would be useful either professionally or personally. The biggest takeaway is how all that theory fits into the real world. Well done to those who organised the event.”

Head of Sector for Business, Computing, Creative Industries and Core Skills, Dale Clancy, commented:

“Providing enterprise opportunities for everyone is something we are passionate about at Borders College. As a team of staff and students we identified the importance of hearing from relatable individuals in the Scottish Borders and all the speakers were able to engage and connect with the students in attendance. This week is one of the first steps in creating an environment where staff and students can develop their ideas and be connected to the right support. It is all about unlocking that entrepreneurial talent we have come through our doors”

Enterprise programmes provide opportunities for young people to develop essential skills, attitudes and an enterprising mindset, which not only enriches their academic learning but also provides a strong foundation for the future.