Young people in the Hunter region have an opportunity to attend a free, two-day entrepreneurial mindset boot camp in Newcastle during Youth Week. Local entrepreneurs or business owners are also being sought to share their expertise with the program participants.
The Hunter’s Entrepreneurship Facilitator Cheryl Royle is partnering with Melbourne-based YLab to deliver the Hunter Futurepreneurs program event for up to 25 people aged between 18 and 30.
Cheryl said the boot camp is open to any young person with passion and ideas. She said people can bring an idea for a startup business or social change project or just come because they want to learn new entrepreneurial skills to apply at work or in their community.
“We’re looking for young people with courage who are willing to back themselves and think differently,” Cheryl said.
“The skills people learn will be invaluable whether they end up starting their own business or move into paid work so there is nothing to lose and everything to gain.
“Our region needs more people with the entrepreneurial mindset to benefit business, government and community organisations to take new opportunities and meet future challenges.”
YLab Design Director, Sarah Alexander said the program will help young people learn to apply an entrepreneurial mindset to solve local challenges, drawing on local assets and appropriate business models. She said participants will work in small teams to design business models that can be applied locally.
“The boot camp is highly practical covering everything from mega trends and connections that influence customers, to existing models being led by young people globally, and tools to rapidly develop and test ideas,” Sarah said.
“There are more young people on the planet than ever before who are ambitious, globally connected, and ready to drive business and social change.”
Sarah said the way young people work and live will continually be disrupted.
“The FYA New Work Order report series shows that 70 per cent of young people are studying for jobs that will not exist in 10 years’ time,” Sarah said.
“This means young people need to be equipped with transferable enterprise skills to be ready for the future workforce.”
YLab is part of the Foundation for Young Australians, which is a leading researcher on the future of work and delivers a range of initiatives (co)designed with young people, aiming to develop the skills, networks and ideas of young Australians so they can create a better future.
Cheryl is one of three entrepreneurship facilitators in Australia. The Australian Government established the Entrepreneurship Facilitators initiative in regions where there is high youth unemployment and low uptake of self-employment.
IMAGE | Young people are invited to participate in a free entrepreneurial mindset bootcamp taking place over Youth Week.