Student Summer BizCamp Recruitment Starts
Budding young entrepreneurs are invited to show their business savvy during an innovative training scheme running this summer.
During the summer of 2014 The Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative in conjunction with the Department of E-Commerce and Tourism Authority will conduct two 7-day BizCamps at Berkeley Institute for 48 aspiring young Bermudian entrepreneurs 13 to 18 years old. Session One dates are July 7th to 15th with Session Two running July 17th to 25th excluding weekends.
During this intensive programs student use a combination of textbooks, a syllabus specific 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 developed and present their own comprehensive business plan. There is no cost for students who are accepted to attend BizCamp.
Joe Mahoney, Executive Director of the YEI use curriculum from a combination of sources including the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship [www.nfte.com], Babson College, [www.babson.edu] and the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education [www.ceed.org].
Mr. Mahoney said, “The goal is to inspire young people to become business-savvy and economically self-sufficient. 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.”
Last year, 41 students received certificates for participating in the program. They developed and presented 38 business plans. The BizCamp staff chose the “Super 7” semifinalists who then compete for prizes during the Business Plan Competition judged by professionals from the business community.
Local entrepreneurs and financing partners also came 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.”
Supported by the Department of E-commerce and Bermuda Tourism Authority 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, and Misheal Hughes.
Electronic applications are available at www.gov.bm and follow the BizCamp link, or send an email to: e-commerce@gov.bm. Participants will be admitted on a rolling basis until there are 24 for each week.
