Young Entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland to follow in the footsteps of Olympic Diver Tom Daley

Creating the next generation of Social Entrepreneurs is the aim of an innovative new qualification launched at Stormont Wednesday 3 October. Junior Ministers Jonathan Bell and Jennifer McCann addressed an audience of educationalists, community workers and other political representatives to congratulate students from England who have already taken part in the pilot scheme and to encourage young people from Northern Ireland to follow in their footsteps.

The Social Enterprise Qualification (SEQ) is Level 2 accredited and is supported by world leading Social Enterprises like Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen. Tom Daley, one of Britain’s youngest Olympians, was part of the SEQ team from Plymouth City College which sold an Eco Bird feeder to Vince Cable during the SEQ’s pilot year.

Juliet Cornford, Social Enterprise Development Manager at Employers For Childcare Charitable Group, says “It’s a really exciting opportunity for young people to engage in something new. It’s a very flexible qualification suitable for formal educational settings – schools, colleges and universities, but also youth and community groups and third sector organisations.  It can work as well with a whole year group as it can with a small group of hard-to-reach learners, or as an enterprise incubator program for undergraduates.”

Taking part in the SEQ develops teamwork, leadership and communication skills. It builds your business, enterprise and entrepreneurial abilities - it’s real; you run a Social Enterprise to make real profits and then you decide how they should be used to make a difference.

If you would like more information on the SEQ please contact Juliet Cornford at [email protected] or call 028 9267 8200. View more photos of the Social Enterprise Qualification launch.