An enterprise scheme in East Belfast is helping young unemployed people gain entrepreneurial skills.
Employment and Learning Minister, Dr Stephen Farry, recently visited the Exploring Enterprise 2 programme at East Belfast Enterprise which explores all aspects of the skills required to start up your own business, including marketing, customer care and finance.
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The Minister said: “The Exploring Enterprise 2 Programme provides unemployed and economically inactive people who are interested in self- employment with a great opportunity to gain an insight into the world of the entrepreneur. The skills gained by participants will not only help them into sustainable self-employment, but play a key part in Northern Ireland’s economic well-being.”
East Belfast Enterprise is one of 31 Local Enterprise Agencies delivering the Exploring Enterprise 2 Programme throughout the province on behalf of Enterprise Northern Ireland.and was successful in securing £1.75million ESF and DEL funding to implement the Programme over three years.
Kenny Rodgers, Business Development Manager at East Belfast Enterprise, explained how the programme works: “Participants do not need to have a specific business idea to join; the programme provides an insight into starting a business whilst allowing participants to work towards achieving a qualification. On successful completion of the CCEA accredited training course participants will be awarded the Level 2 in Understanding Business Enterprise.”
The Minister concluded: “The Programme will build upon the success of its forerunner, which provided training to almost 3,000 people throughout Northern Ireland, and with continuing support from my Department and the Northern Ireland ESF Programme this initiative has the capacity to make an important difference to the lives of many more participants and their ability to compete in the labour market.”
The Exploring Enterprise 2 Programme is supported by the Northern Ireland European Social Fund (ESF) Programme 2007-2013 and by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL).