2013 BizCamp Applications Now Available
Budding young entrepreneurs are invited to show their business savvy during an innovative training scheme running this summer.
During the summer of 2013 The Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative [YEI], in conjunction with the Department of E-Commerce, will conduct week-long BizCamps at Berkeley Institute for 48 aspiring young Bermudian entrepreneurs 13 to 18 years old. BizCamp dates are the week of July 8 or July 15.
Additionally, we are introducing a special 8-day Career Camp for 15 to 18 year olds from July 22 to July 31. Students will choose either the E-Commerce or Tourism/Hospitality industry tracks and hear special presentations from experts in these fields.
During these intensive programmes students use a combination of “The Young Person’s Guide to Starting and Running a Business” textbook and workbook, on-line research, guest lecturers and field-based market research to learn about opportunity recognition, cost of goods, pricing, marketing and many other aspects of running a company and developing and presenting their own comprehensive business plan.
Joe Mahoney, Executive Director of the YEI presents curriculum from the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. This global organisation inspires young people to become business-savvy and economically self-sufficient. He said: “participants are provided with a business plan template, and after learning the concepts, they complete the plan with specific information for their own business idea and present it to a panel of judges selected from the business community.”
Local entrepreneurs and financing partners come in to present real-world practices. One of those, Jamillah Lodge of the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation, who also served as a BizPlan Judge stated, “This is an awesome opportunity to see what the future of Bermudian entrepreneurship looks like.”
There is no cost for students who are accepted to attend BizCamp.
Supported by the Department of E-commerce, with sponsorship from the Bank of Bermuda Foundation, ARGO Foundation, Tokio Millennium Re, ACE Foundation, PartnerRe, and Cellular One all expenses including training materials, daily lunch, and prizes are covered by the YEI.
Former student BizPlan Competition winners return to serve as assistant teachers. This year they include Jazmyn Williams, Emily Clifford, and Rodneyka Brown-Evans Freeman.
Electronic applications are available here [PDF], or send an email to: e-commerce@gov.bm. Participants will be admitted on a rolling basis until there are 24 for each week.
