New Free Programme to Transform Wexford Job Seekers Careers in 2016

Innovation Academy, UCD Postgraduate Certificate in Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Enterprise

Commencing 23rd February 2016

Lee Chin, Wexford GAA with the help of Cllr. Ger McCarthy, Mayor of Wexford and Madeleine Quirke, CEO Wexford Chamber, showed their support in launching an exciting and innovative programme that will assist job seekers in Wexford. The free programme which has been developed and run by the Innovation Academy UCD, is funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Springboard + Initiative. It will offer an innovative approach to third level education – which to date has resulted in 72% of all graduates going into regular employment or establishing their own business.

The programme is internationally recognised and nurtures creativity and increases the participant’s capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship; skills that are highly sought after by employers in all sectors presently. It brings together participants in groups who work on projects that stimulate creativity, problem solving and create positive environments for experiential learning. Participants also have an opportunity to connect with employers through innovation projects with industry and guest speakers.

Beginning 23rd February, this course will run for 18 weeks, 2 days a week from 9am-5pm. Participants who successfully complete the course will gain a qualification from University College Dublin along with a highly transferable skill set with the skills to gain employment or to start their own business or social venture. The course applies a ‘learn by doing’ teaching method with no exams and attracts a diverse mix of people who either wish to start their own business, embark on a new career or rejoin an existing career path.

The course is taught by a team of academics and entrepreneurs such as Alison Coleman, from Dunmore East, an entrepreneurial specialist with a background in security and fraud investigation with leading entertainment company Sky and Kathleen Doran, who is from Wexford and who is an Associate Facilitator with over 15 years Project Management experience with leading multi-nationals including Apple Computer, Symantec and Microsoft.

Recent Wexford graduates, Dympna Skelton, Andi McGarry and Robert Duggan-White were also on hand to help launch the new free program. Speaking of their experience in completing the course, Dympna Skelton said “Participating on this programme has given me a whole new perspective on moving forward and the tools to turn my goals into reality. It was a great opportunity to meet new people with creative and unique ideas”

Speaking about his experience of the course, Andi McGarry said “As an older student on the course I was able to explore many avenues including team building and collaborative projects. I am currently co-organizing an annual documentary film festival in Wexford but because of the course I am now open to a whole range of new possibilities now. This is a really great course that is run by innovators who love what they do. I believe that someday all teaching will be done this way”.

Professor Suzi Jarvis, Founding Director of the Innovation Academy said: “We are so delighted to be bringing the programme to Wexford, nurturing entrepreneurship and getting more people back into the workforce as we use our learnings in innovation and developing people’s creativity for business and education into communities around the country. Our whole focus is to encourage creative thinking and increase people’s capacity for innovation within their careers or with their business ideas and we see first hand new businesses shooting up following these programmes and more people re-joining the workforce with renewed confidence and energy.”

For further information on the course and to register your interest please visit www.innovators.ie