News
New TUD Entrepeneurs Course For Migrants Refugees and Asylum Seekers Starts This Week
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A new online course on Entrepreneurship for Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers who wish to start their own business begins next week January 25. 54 applicants from 21 different countries, from Ukraine to Syria, have been accepted to do the new course.
The course is being funded by the HEA, and is being run by TU Dublin in partnership with the Open Doors Initiative. Classes will begin January 25th and will continue each Wednesday for 12 lectures from 11.00 – 13.00. Application for this course is now closed. The course will be hosted and delivered by TU Dublin through its Continuing Professional Development programme, while the mentoring will be delivered through the Open Doors Initiative.
Thomas Cooney of TU Dublin:
“Migrants arrive with a variety of education, career and entrepreneurial experiences that can be of benefit to the Irish economy if nurtured effectively They also have personal and professional contacts in their home country, plus a deep appreciation of its culture, that offers Irish-based companies a fantastic opportunity to export into new geographic markets. This course offers migrants the opportunity to develop an understanding of the processes involved in starting a business in Ireland which can lead to economic and social benefits for themselves and society more broadly.”
“We are delighted to partner with TUD on this great course for Entrepreneurs from different backgrounds living here” said Jeanne McDonagh, CEO The Open Doors Initiative. “They bring a wealth of knowledge, lateral and creative thinking, which all in Ireland will benefit from. We are keen to support these innovators and help them get their ideas off the ground. It is an honour to work with them and help them fly” added Jeanne McDonagh.
The course is open to anyone who self-identifies as a migrant, refugee or asylum seeker and who wishes to start their own business. However, the course is not suitable for a person who has already started their own business or simply wants to learn about entrepreneurship.
The course requires participants to have a business idea that they wish to evaluate as a sustainable enterprise. During the course, participants will cover many subjects including the following topics:
- Challenges facing Migrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers becoming self-employed
- Idea evaluation
- Customer relationships and channels
- Clarifying the Value Proposition
- Balancing business and personal well-being
- Key resources and partners
- Developing financial projections
- Test marketing your idea
The module will include a range of Guest Speakers whose experiences and expertise are relevant to the target audience. Using a newly-developed online tool that will enable participants to develop their idea on a week-by-week basis, plus adopting Universal Design for Learning principles, a customised experiential learning approach will allow each participant to maximise their learning from the course.
The course will consist of 12 lectures followed by a 4-week period to allow for the completion and submission of a Business Plan. The course is being offered at NFQ Level 6 of the Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), and successful participants will be awarded 5 ECTS credits. Participants on the course will be students of TU Dublin and will therefore be eligible to access any of TU Dublin’s resources (e.g. library, disability support services). Additionally, each participant will be allocated a business mentor through the Open Doors Initiative who will support them with the development of their business idea.
The course will conclude with the presentation of Business Plans to a panel of potential funders of the business. While the submission of every Business Plan will be evaluated for the awarding of 5 ECTS credits, only final business proposals considered sustainable will be eligible to make a presentation for potential funding.
