Page 31 - BICF College Prep 101 Fall 2019

Learning doesn’t stop as soon as you graduate from high school. It is a continual process whether it be in a formal classroom setting or in the everyday lessons of life. The latter can best be described as the process of developing an entrepreneurial mindset. BEDC offers several programmes that can assist you develop and entrepreneurial mindset. The Ice House Student Success Programme is a course that will help students develop the determination and perseverance needed to succeed both academically and in life. This 8-week program provides for experiential learning beyond the classroom, making connections, and building relationships that can support students throughout college and beyond. There are some consistent characteristics that successful entrepreneurs have. Specifically most entrepreneurs are: risk takers, visionaries, leaders, adaptable, competitive, driven, confident, persuasive, and understanding. Of these named characteristics, many of us can recognize them in ourselves, however, in the case when they are not present– can you develop them? I argue that The Summer Student Entrepreneurship Programme (SSEP) provides students between the ages of 16-25 with an opportunity to be their own boss. While in the programme students receive training on entrepreneurship, a startup grant towards costs to help execute their business idea and support to manage the business. To date 18 students have participated in and graduated from the SSEP. This programme runs every summer and allows students to earn a livable wage and save funds during the summer period as an alternative to securing summer employment. For more information on how to be a part of these programmes, email info@bedc.bm. COLLEGE PREP 101 FALL 2019 31 you can. The key to learning how to be an entrepreneur is in experience. Neil Kane the Director at Michigan State University’s undergraduate entrepreneurship & Innovation programme says “Entrepreneurism must be practiced to be learned. It is experiential. Just as you can’t learn to swim at the library, you can’t learn what entrepreneurship is about unless you have experienced it.” Developing an entrepreneurial mindset speaks to the how you look at and solve a problem. This way of thinking is not limited by age or career. It is instead a way to add value wherever you find yourself in life. Developing an Entrepreneurial Mindset By Jamillah Lodge Director of Communication & Development Bermuda Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) You don’t have to wait until you get to college to start developing an entrepreneurial mindset. Identify programs locally that are available now that can help you hone your entrepreneurial skills.