ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT
The Creative Hub at the Centre for Creative Arts & Media includes organisations such as: • The Galway Film Centre • UNESCO Galway City of Film • RTE's West of Ireland TV & Radio studios • Creative Europe • TULCA Arts Festival • Several Animation and Game companies A recent collaboration with The Western Development Commission involved the development of incubation space for creative start-ups. Lecturers and students in speci fi c disciplines engage in new product development work. Computing students regularly develop new apps, while culinary arts students engage in the development of new food products. Similarly, science and engineering students use their discipline knowledge to develop solutions to real world problems. Business students and staff participated in ‘The GMIT Apprentice Competition’, with the winning student being awarded an internship with a local company. Established entrepreneurs regularly speak to class groups about their journey to success, and the lessons learned en route. GMIT recognises that not all enterprise occurs within a business setting, and social entrepreneurship is actively encouraged. Many students engage in social entrepreneurship projects through their civic engagement projects. For example, students in the School of Engineering source and refurbish old computers for use in education in third world countries. Final Year students in the School of Business participate in the Junior Achievement programme. This programme involves GMIT students educating primary school children about entrepreneurship and the world of work. Whichever course you choose at GMIT, you will be provided with opportunities to identify and develop your entrepreneurial mind-set and skills.
GMIT values entrepreneurialism and aims to expose all students to the skills and knowledge required by entrepreneurs. We recognise that entrepreneurship is not solely about setting up a business. Rather, entrepreneurial skills include the ability to identify opportunities, take risks, solve problems, and build relationships. These abilities are valuable in business and non-business settings and are therefore built into all of GMIT’s courses. In addition to these generic skills, GMIT also offers a number of business modules aimed at providing students with creativity and innovation techniques and the expertise to establish their own business. In keeping with the applied nature of studies in GMIT, these modules require students to learn by doing. Students work in groups to develop a business idea into a workable business plan, which they communicate and defend. GMIT has Innovation Hubs (iHubs) located on both the Galway and the Mayo campuses. These innovation centres offer incubation space and a supportive environment to help potential entrepreneurs realise their business ideas. GMIT students can accelerate development of their enterprise skills through working on practical projects with the iHub client companies. GMIT students on all fi ve campuses have participated with great success in Student Innovation Awards run by Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Of fi ces and GMIT itself. Several students have continued on to set up their own businesses. In recognition of the importance of entrepreneurs to Ireland’s future economic success, many speci fi c projects are undertaken within the Institute to develop and promote an entrepreneurial culture. For example, the iHub in Mayo together with local industry and community collaborators, stage an annual ‘Spirit of Entrepreneurship’ event which highlights opportunities and achievements of start-up companies and successful entrepreneurs.
GMIT Student Enterprise Award winner Jack Hahessy (centre) a Business & Agri student being presented with a €2000 fi rst prize for his veal business, Kilkenny Rose Veal. Also, in photo are Elaine McPhillips from Shell, and guest speaker Niall McGarry of joe.ie and her.ie
GMIT engineering student David Walshe from Castlebar, Co Mayo, joint winner in the Intel Galileo Technology Competition, for his ‘Tech Smart Home’ project.
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