Young Enterprise at HCA

Published on 10.02.16

This morning I was delighted to catch up with Jess and Christie from our Extended Diploma in Art and Design course. The girls are both year 2 students and form part of the Art and Design Young Enterprise team for 2015-16. The team have called their company Inky Links and I have been struck by

This morning I was delighted to catch up with Jess and Christie from our Extended Diploma in Art and Design course. The girls are both year 2 students and form part of the Art and Design Young Enterprise team for 2015-16.

The team have called their company Inky Links and I have been struck by their professionalism and drive in getting their new venture underway. Team members are all designated their own areas of responsibility and attend regular minuted meetings to catch up and progress their ideas.

The group are supported by a local business adviser provided by the Young Enterprise Company Programme and a member of the College’s Art & Design team, who help with advice and guidance as they prepare for a local Spring Fair in March and offer support as the team look to complete all the necessary paperwork and reports – something that every business needs to do, so it’s great practice for them!

The team have enlisted the help of other students on their course, inviting them to design prints – pictured is a sneaky peak of just two I saw this morning. They have an exciting plan to sell prints, cards and notelets to create funds to invest in an idea they have to provide ready to use printing packs for schools. They hope that schools will find the packs easy to use and provide opportunities for them to raise funds for their schools by selling the prints they make. I love this idea and can see that behind it is a real desire to engage younger students in art, whilst creating for themselves a fresh, exciting, enterprising new business!

It hardly seems like work on mornings like today, catching up with students and listening to their ideas and sharing in their excitement and plans for the future is a real pleasure! In November, I was equally as impressed when I met with our Extended Diploma in Performng Arts Young Enterprise team, Singers in Waiting Company, who are doing just that, singing whilst they wait, at local events, parties and business functions. To find out more visit my November blog.

Young Enterprise is just one of the many ways the College looks to prepare students for employment. Every course encourages students to develop skills which include communication, both written and verbal, team building, time management and skills such as pricing and marketing, all valuable employability skills to assist them with whatever career or new business they decide to go for!

Find out more about Hereford College of Arts by attending an Open Day or visiting our Student Life page.

Wendy Tolley

HCA Business Services