Be inspired at Ayrshire College

Ayrshire College has recently been named Enterprising FE College of the Year at the Bridge 2 Business Educator Awards and we wanted to shout about the ways that Ayrshire College is leading the way in business enterprise throughout Ayrshire and beyond, particularly through its innovative partnership between the Ayrshire College Foundation and Bridge 2 Business.

Bridge 2 Business is a Young Enterprise Scotland programme designed to inspire, connect and support college students into business.

The Ayrshire College Foundation was set up to advance education by providing financial support for projects and activities carried out and supported by Ayrshire College.

How can we help?

The College offers all of its students the opportunity to learn enterprise and business skills no matter what course they are on and students have the opportunity to apply for grants for a business start-up or development of an existing business through the Enterprising Students Fund.

Enterprising Students Fund

Students who are seriously thinking about starting their own business, or developing an existing business, work closely with Bridge2Business Enterprise Executive Lynn Kelly towards preparing a business plan and applying for a £5000 funding grant.

The benefits include:

• All students, no matter what they are studying have an opportunity to learn the skills of being entrepreneurial

• They have 1-1 support to help them write a business plan, access to workshops to help them develop business skills, introductions to other enterprise agencies such as Business Gateway

• Uniquely, access to up to £5000 to help them start a business

Say Hello Creatives!

Hello Creatives! Is a unique network for people studying towards or working in the creative industries which has been set up by Ayrshire College, and is also supported by the Ayrshire College Foundation.

The purpose of Hello Creative Network is to introduce students to the creative industry, local employers and mentors, through a regular series of informal events and a Facebook group, designed to engage, motivate and inspire.

These entrepreneurial events will help students to build a support network within the industry, and help increase confidence and communication skills in a welcoming, supportive environment.

Ayrshire College students past and present will be able to benefit from becoming a member of the Hello Creatives network.

For those that are already working in the creative field, it’s a chance to inspire young people to help them know what they can do with their creative skills when they leave college including starting their own business. By sharing stories of their business start-ups, it helps students understand the amazing opportunities that are available and the support network that is available to them.

Read some smart advice from Hello Creatives speakers to help you get started in the creative industries.

For lecturers, it helps them make new connections in the creative sector to enhance their teaching and learning, exchange best practice knowledge, and help them stay abreast of the latest industry developments.

Want to prepare to start a business?

The College also provides a new short course – ‘Preparing to Start a Business’ which helps to write a business plan on a distance learning basis. Once students have completed the course, they can apply for the funding too.

Inspired yet?

The College’s enterprise programmes support the College’s ethos of increasing opportunities, inspiring achievement and raising aspirations.

Read about some of our students who have already benefitted from enterprise at Ayrshire College 

If you have the passion and determination, and are a current or former Ayrshire College student who would like to start a business then why not find out more here on our website