02 March 2011
SERC students attended the recent Embracing Enterprise Conference hosted by Belfast Met along with students from SRC and BMC. It was an opportunity to help students explore enterprise and hear from real-life entrepreneurs.
Chris Hughes, Hughes Leisure Ltd., showed that starting a business can be tough going but that persistence can pay off as he told students about how he came back after almost giving up. Chris is only 24 and runs a project and events management business in the sports and leisure industry. He currently works with some big names including Cool FM and The Odyssey.
Confidence, ability and a positive attitude are what guest speaker Billy Dixon was encouraging the students to adopt to help them get on in their future careers. Billy was inspirational, informative and fun but be careful if you go up in a plane with him!
7 teams of SERC students from construction, engineering and plumbing had to come up with ideas and develop a product or service, outline who it is targeted at and what the benefits are for the customer in the Tomorrow’s World Enterprise Challenge.
Out of 32 teams 3 SERC ideas were chosen as part of the top 10 and the teams had to get up on stage and pitch their idea to the audience and the judging panel.
Eco-Wood.collects waste off cuts and wood shavings from College and University workshops and recycles this into bedding for pets, kindling and garden furniture.
Karen Wilson chats with Eco-Wood
F.U.E.L (Free Useable Energy for Leisure) is a mini portable solar panel produced from waste workshop materials which can be used to power mobiles and iPods, heat water in paddling pools and even a dog’s kennel!
FUEL entertain the crowd!
Rite Nite is a pre-paid loyalty card for clubs and taxis which allows young people to have a great night out in member clubs whilst sticking to their budget – which is usually hard to do!
The spokesmen for the teams did well to present their ideas but unfortunately the panel didn’t see the genius that we did and SERC didn’t come away with a prize this time.