Lord Mayor inspires students on entrepreneurial project

Thursday 23 October saw the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal, join students and staff at BMet’s Matthew Boulton College on day four of a project dedicated to entrepreneurship and business innovation.

The visit allowed the mayor to learn about BMet Enterprise, the college’s new initiative to embed entrepreneurial thinking across its curriculum and coincided with day four of the Eureka Programme, an intensive week-long challenge.

Through Eureka, students create and pitch their own business ideas, developing enterprise skills such as problem-solving, collaboration and presentation.

During his visit, the Lord Mayor listened to student presentations, offered advice and praised their determination and originality. He also took time to meet learners individually and thanked staff for their commitment in supporting Birmingham’s next generation of entrepreneurs.

“It’s inspiring to see Birmingham’s young people developing ideas with real potential,” said the Lord Mayor. “BMet is clearly providing wonderful opportunities for students to build confidence and skills for the future.”

The BMet Enterprise initiative supports the West Midlands’ ambition for inclusive, innovation-driven growth and demonstrates BMet’s ongoing commitment to preparing students for successful futures in business and employment.

It’s an exciting and innovative development for the college, as enterprise programmes are typically offered at Higher Education level only.  The college has plans to create a dedicated Student Enterprise Hub where students will be supported in turning their business ideas into reality.

Oliver Stokes, Director of Creative, Digital, Business & Law at BMet, said: “BMet Enterprise is a launchpad for our students’ ambitions. Built on the incredible creativity and innovation already thriving within our college, it empowers students to turn ideas into impact and passion into purpose and real businesses.”

More than 100 students have taken part in this innovative programme and here is what some of them had to say:

Mamour: “Being part of the BMet Enterprise is really useful for me and my business. Having the Lord Mayor of Birmingham come to college was an amazing experience.”

Alexandru: “For me this session was impressive. I really appreciated the advice and the words that the Lord Mayor shared with me. I am very happy about the opportunities that the college is giving students.”

Mohammad: “This session didn’t disappoint! It was such a great opportunity to get feedback from the Lord Mayor on how to turn our dreams into reality.”

Alima: “I am so enthusiastic about this project and found it rewarding to meet with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham. I have learnt a lot and hope it will help me in the future to build my business.”