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GMIT has developed this free, 18 week part-time course to enable ambitious students to transform their ideas into new businesses.

This is not a traditional classroom taught course. Students will interact with a broad range of project hosts, practitioners, industry leaders and entrepreneurs including well known entrepreneurs such as:

• Brendan Allen (Castlemine Farms)
• JP McMahon (Galway Restaurateur)
• Ronan Byrne (Friendly Farmer)
• Declan Droney (Kinvara Smoked Salmon)
• Pat McDonagh (Supermacs)
• Maurice Knightly (formerly O’Briens Sandwich Bar)
• John Daley (John Daley Foods)

There will be two days of lectures per week - one day online, and one day in the classroom.

The practical application of learning is embedded in the course through regular real-life project challenges and the incorporation of industry and practitioner guest speakers and contributors into the course.

Participation in multi-disciplinary teams ensures students are exposed to alternative knowledge, skills sets and perspectives. This broadens participants' horizons and stimulates the cross-fertilisation of ideas and capabilities.

Delivery of the course will be led by the Innovation Hubs at GMIT which have enabled dozens of potential entrepreneurs to take their ideas from concept to full commercialisation.

*** Download the Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship brochure here ***

What our graduates say:

“The course really helped me develop my business idea and business plan.  More importantly, it helped me with the transition from homemaker to entrepreneur”.  Hilda Patton

“The course is full of inspiration with totally up-to-date information delivered by a professional team”. Deirdre Bennett

Students will undertake three modules as part of this course, each worth 10 credits.

The three modules are:

• Creative Thinking and Opportunity Recognition
• Food Sector Entrepreneurship
• Food Sector Specific Skills

This course is focused on forming and supporting job creators. Throughout the course, participants are encouraged to seriously consider food entrepreneurship as a viable alternative to employment. There is a strong emphasis on the development of implementable and sustainable economic and social entrepreneurship ventures and projects.

In addition to the development of technical and transferable skills required for entrepreneurial activity, we also offer individual practical supports to participants who have identified business ideas, which they wish to pursue further. In such cases we act as a start-up platform introducing participants to experts and mentors as well as potential sources of funding.

For those seeking employment, rather than hoping to create employment, the course provides participants with sought-after skills in the areas of creative thinking, innovation, opportunity recognition, networking and team building, entrepreneurial thinking and action. Confidence building and ability to act autonomously, as well as peer-to-peer network development will be a strong features of our course. Standard CV and interview preparation are offered to all participants but due to the nature of the course are not always required.

Start Date

October 2018

Duration:

18 weeks

Entry Requirements

Honours Degree (Level 8) in any discipline, or an Ordinary Degree (Level 7) in any discipline plus two years of relevant experience working/ self employed in the area of food entrepreneurship/ innovation, or five years working/self employed of relevant experience in the area of food entrepreneurship/innovation.

Application Process

You must apply for this course through www.springboardcourses.ie, where you will need to first register. You cannot apply directly to GMIT.

Fees

There is no charge for this course for qualifying candidates.

To check if you are eligible for no fees, go to http://www.springboardcourses.ie/eligibility

You must provide GMIT with written evidence that you meet the eligibility criteria before the course commences.

Student Cards

You are eligible for a Student Card when undertaking this course

Springboard+ is funded by the Department of Education and Skills and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020.