Gwent Students Cry Out for Opportunity to Run Own Business, Report Finds

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Food for thought has rarely taken on a more literal manifestation than at an event at Coleg Gwent’s Usk Campus recently, which saw students experience the ups and downs of enterprise and entrepreneurship.

At the event, which was attended by more than one hundred students, the participants were offered a free bacon roll, hot dog or vegetarian roll in return for answering questions on their attitude towards entrepreneurship in their future. The event, called “Eat My Goal”, was held at the campuss refectory, where they were able to access a range of information on how to become their own bosses after leaving college.

On a Roll”¦

The findings augur well for the enterprise of the economy in the future. 56% of students, would prefer to be their own boss which they believe would enable them to make more money more rapidly. Furthermore, 26% would aim to work for themselves to make the most of their skills and qualifications rather than being channelled into a career for which their training was ill suited.

On the whole, the students appear to be looking forward to a career driven on enterprise; 65% stated that they are hoping to start their own company after leaving Coleg Gwent. Flexible hours were popular with 8% of students, who want to be their own boss so they can choose their own working time. Being the master or mistress of their own destiny was also important, with 5% looking forward to not having someone else telling them what to do.

Feeding Entrepreneurial Desire

The College’s Business Development Unit was represented at the event by Matthew Welsher. After having dirtied his hands with the food distribution, he said: “Its good news to find out that so many of our students have such a strong desire to work for themselves and shows that Coleg Gwent is training the entrepreneurs of the future.”

He continued, saying: “The results of the survey showed us that our students are planning a broad range of future careers for themselves – everything from landscape gardening and farming to felling trees, grooming dogs and working as personal trainers!”

The Deputy Director of the Usk Campus, Liz Davies, added: “Our landbased and sport and leisure students work hard to achieve their skills and qualifications. They are likely to consider self-employment as an option in the future, and the support is here to help them achieve their goals.”

Jethro Marsh

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