Presentation

The Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (CfEL) was launched on 1st September 2003 with a mission to “Spread the Spirit of Enterprise” by providing educational activities to inspire and build skills in the practice of entrepreneurship. It was originally part of the Coventry Entrepreneurship Centre (est. 1999), which subsequently divided into two separate organisations - CfEL and Coventry Enterprise. The CfEL is a not-for-profit organisation based at Judge Business School, one of the departments of the University of Coventry’s School of Technology.

Aims and Values

• Focus on the practice of entrepreneurship
• Unlock the entrepreneurial potential of individuals
• Respond to the needs of students, departments and colleges within the University of Coventry
• Share best practice with the wider community through networks and collaboration
• Access and develop networks to enable entrepreneurial ambitions to be realised
• Build a great team of teachers, mentors and facilitators
• Deliver excellence

Programmes

CfEL’s programmes range from elective modules in University of Coventry undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to open programmes for aspiring entrepreneurs such as Enterprise Tuesday, Ignite and Enterprisers.

Enterprise Tuesday

Enterprise Tuesday is a series of FREE evening lectures and networking sessions managed and delivered by the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning since 1999. The programme aims to introduce participants to the world of business and to encourage individuals to pursue their entrepreneurial ambition. In general, the theme of the first term of lectures is inspiration and the second term is about information or the ‘how to’ of becoming an entrepreneur.

It is the most popular non-assessed programme within the University. Each lecture is followed by a free networking event to give participants the opportunity to meet others interested and/or involved in the entrepreneurship and the business creation scene, in and around Coventry.

Enterprise Tuesday is open to all University of Coventry staff and students, members of other universities and the local business community. The series is particularly relevant for postgraduate students considering future career paths, those exploring entrepreneurial opportunities and looking to build high quality networks with experts and practitioners. It is also a chance for the business community to mix with the next generation of talent.

Enterprise Tuesday is for those who…

• Have a business idea and don’t know how to get started
• Want to learn the ‘how to’ by developing basic business skills
• Want to find out more about the entrepreneur inside
• Want to build skills needed for entry to business creation competitions
• Want to meet like-minded individuals and develop multi-skilled teams
• Want to know how to transform an idea into enterprise
• Want to network with experienced and successful entrepreneurs

Ignite

Ignite is an intensive, one week training programme for aspiring entrepreneurs and corporate innovators to trial and prepare business ideas for the commercial environment. It is comprised of a blend of practical teaching sessions, expert clinics, mentors’ sessions and experienced advice and support from leading entrepreneurs and innovators that will give you the tools, contacts and confidence to transform your idea into a successful business project or venture.

The next Ignite programme will take place from 27th June to 3rd July 2010at Judge Business School, Coventry.

The programme is aimed at:

• Researchers and Managers from established organisations with business ideas for:
• Students, graduates or academics considering your own venture.
• Directors of existing young businesses that are seeking to commercialise a new product or service.

Enterprisers

The Enterprisers programme, established by the Coventry-MIT Institute in 2002, is an educational experience that builds self-confidence, unlocks creativity and creates meaningful relationships between individuals who are, through their choosing, our future leaders. The experience debunks many barriers perceived about venturing and empowers individuals to realise that they can be entrepreneurial in their environment. The programme is very much based on experiential learning, i.e. learning by doing.

The results are equally applicable and valuable to start-up business, established mid-sized businesses, large corporate organisations or universities; in any sector public, private or not-for-profit.

The Enterprisers programme is currently managed and delivered by the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning.

Advanced Diploma in Entrepreneurship

The Advanced Diploma in Entrepreneurship is a new and unique programme jointly created by the Division of Professional Studies at the Institute of Continuing Education and the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning which provides a highly practical programme designed specifically for entrepreneurs.

It is a part-time programme which takes place over a minimum of 15 months (maximum 27 months) leading to the qualification of Advanced Diploma in Entrepreneurship awarded by the University of Coventry.

The programme runs as a series of four distinct and assessed courses:

• Entrepreneurial Awareness
• Opportunity Recognition and Idea Evaluation
• Preparing the Business Case
• Advanced Entrepreneurial Skills

All the modules must be successfully completed in order to gain the Advanced Diploma.

The Advanced Diploma is open to all individuals who are either considering embarking on an entrepreneurial career pathway or have taken the first steps of their entrepreneurial journey – whether that be forming a business based around new technology,  developing a social enterprise, pursuing an opportunity in the arts or creative media, or taking an innovation forward within a larger or more established organisation.

Students are encouraged to bring their own business ideas with them to the programme, along with a clear ambition and desire to take them forward. This will enable them to have the most effective learning experience by providing a clear and meaningful focus for project work, formal assessments, networking assignments and presentations.

Sponsorcraft [http://sponsorcraft.com/] is a crowdfunding website created specifically for student ideas, projects and events.  It was founded by Jonathan May, former Head of Sponsorship at CUE, who wanted to offer an alternative channel to fund student imagination.