The academic year is now fully underway and with a renewed sense of purpose, so is the second year of ‘Future Founders’. Following the success of last year’s pilot programme which saw 2,500 young people across Northern Ireland engage; the Future Founders programme is back to inspire even more young people to turn their ideas into a business start-up.
Within Southern Regional College (SRC), students from Sports and Business courses on both the Armagh and Newry campuses, have been joined by their fellow Science and Hairdressing students on the Armagh campus, to undertake their first steps in becoming Northern Ireland’s next entrepreneur.
To date students have been introduced to what is entrepreneurship, as part of a three-pronged workshop delivered by Young Enterprise NI. As Sam Walker, from Young Enterprise explains, this initial stage is all about encouraging “Young people to think ahead about starting their own business, the skills that are needed to do that and how they would go about achieving that in today’s world.”
Next up, in mid-November students will undergo an innovation camp, where they will be challenged to think outside the box, get creative, and dream big …. or small, as often it’s the simplest idea that generates the most success.
The final stage of the programme will see students meeting local entrepreneurs in January 2027 and learn from their experiences. This will involve learning about their innovative ideas, how they have gone about creating their businesses, some hints and tips on how to succeed and more importantly, what pitfalls to avoid.
While students will be challenged to get creative and innovate now, it’s crucial to remember that even if the lightbulb, or eureka moment hasn’t quite occurred yet, there’s always the potential for it to transpire at another life stage.
As Ciaran Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer at Banbridge District Enterprises, says:
“Entrepreneurship isn’t something that you do only once in your life. You can keep coming back to entrepreneurship the whole way throughout your working life.”
Lynne Ervine, Technology Enhanced Learning and Project Based Learning Manager at SRC added:
“The Future Founders programme gives students the opportunity to think differently about opportunities, innovation and their own potential. For some, it may spark the ambition to start a business; for others, it may inspire new ways of thinking that they take into their future careers.
The programme demonstrates that entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking are not confined to specific subject areas or career pathways. The skills students develop, including creativity, problem-solving, resilience and initiative, are valuable across all sectors and professions.
As part of the wider Entrepreneurship Hub across Northern Ireland’s Further Education colleges, Future Founders helps learners connect with entrepreneurs, learn from real-world experiences and see how ideas can be developed into successful ventures. We are excited to see the impact the programme continues to have on our students and the opportunities it creates for their futures.”
The Future Founders programme is facilitated by Go Succeed. Funded by the UK Government and delivered by Northern Ireland’s eleven councils, Go Succeed supports entrepreneurs, new starts and existing businesses with advice and support at every stage of their growth journey.
Photos from the Armagh and Newry Future Founders launch events
