Testimonials
David Whelan speaks about his experiences on the EEP
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Having completed many certificates, diplomas and degrees over the years it was very unusual to come across such an exciting and dynamic diploma such as the Enterprise Evolution Programme. Not only was I lucky to come across it, but it was free also. This is not like going to college and listening to lecture after lecture. This programme provides you with a fun way to interact, upskill and learn at the same time. From start to finish this programme has energised me and gave me the tools needed to build my own business. It gave me the focus, discipline, and motivation to take my business to another level. This programme is not only for people who wish to be entrepreneurs and start their own businesses. The course provides free mentoring and guidance to help those who wish to get back into full time employment also. The EEP is a platform where you can get your career back on track and meet some inspiring people. The tutors and mentors have the skills, knowledge and real life experience to get you motivated and unleash the creative side within you. I have made some great friends and business associates over the duration of this remarkable course. It has been life-changing for me and has opened up a lot of different opportunities also.
Denis Coen – Performance Coach, Entrepreneur & Freelance Sports Writer
I found the programme really useful and challenging. As a designer I make lovely things, but the gap for me was my lack of business knowledge. I’ve done pre-enterprise programmes before but this one was the best. It was well developed & structured, even a day on how to present yourself, was really useful. The lecturers and the content were of a very high quality, for me the most valuable module was Global Business, as I am hoping to export one day. It has changed the way I think, I now understand margins and mark-ups, and feeling less guilty about asking for the price I’m worth. I can honestly say on a personal level I will miss it when it finishes.
Sarah McGahon
Participation in the Enterprise Evolution Programme has provided me with a great insight into the key areas affecting businesses and entrepreneurs. I have found that the ‘hands on’ approach taken by this Diploma course is of great benefit in helping me to understand the theory covered by the formal lectures. The lectures covered a wide range of very interesting topics and provided a very good grounding for the practical assignments. The broad range of ages, experiences and skills of the course attendees provided great insights and new thinking about many of the case studies and projects we undertook. I also got very interesting insights into my team-working and innovation styles. The course would be very beneficial, not only for those intending to start their own business or launch a new venture but also for anyone intending to be involved in a ‘start-up’ situation.
Mike Hayes
The Enterprise Evolution Programme provides you with the basic skills and knowledge it acquires to start your own entrepreneurial adventure. This is the course is perfect for anyone who had an idea and didn’t know where to start. Set within the campus of the Institute of Technology, Tallaght, Ideas grow within a group activity environment. You learn practical knowledge such as finance and marketing and then more exploratory subjects such as idea generation. Not only did I learn a lot from the material that was covered by the various lectures, I learned from the people who were on my course with me. Students come from various educational backgrounds anything from IT to Construction to like myself Fashion. Each student bring with them their own past experiences and knowledge. Ideas are allowed to grow and develop through the process of the course with encouragement and constructive criticism available. Throughout the course, your skills develop along with your business idea. On the first day of the course, we were asked to write a letter to ourselves about what we would like to achieve from this course, I’ve ticked all the boxes.
Aine Kilbride, Fashion Designer
I joined this course with the aim of exploring the option of setting up my own business. What attracted me the most was the strong practical aspect of the course. It is all well and good learning about something from books and lectures, but it is of limited use if it is not put in to practice.
Throughout this course, we have had plenty of opportunities to put into practice what we have learned- use selling strategies and presentation skills to pitch our business ideas, draw up marketing plans etc. For me, this has been an excellent course and a fantastic learning experience. You have the opportunity to meet and network with inspiring and knowledgeable people, opening new doors and avenues, and giving you a sense of hope in times of economic doom and gloom.
Rachael McBride PhD Bioinformatics
For the past six weeks I have been taking part in the Enterprise Evolution Program. So far I have really enjoyed it. While participating on the course it feels as if it is split into three parts; academic lectures, projects, and industry speakers.
The academic lectures cover various facets of business such as selling skills and finance. They also include creativity and problem solving workshops. The projects are taken directly from industry so you and your project group are working real problems with real companies. The industry speakers are also an excellent part of the course. They range from people who are just starting out with their own company, people who are developing products and ideas, to people who run very successful companies. Their expertise provides a great learning platform to develop the skills and knowledge needed to start and run a company.
Having started this program as a result of not being able to find a job, it has given me the ambition and confidence to create my own job and not wait for one to come my way. I would highly recommend the Enterprise Evolution Program to anyone who wants to seize the chance to create a new opportunity for themselves.
Benedict Teeling, BEng Mechanical Engineering, MSc Biomedical Engineering.
As an Engineering graduate with a Masters in Project Management I had acquired a new found interest in business practice. I found the Enterprise Evolution Programme a perfect vehicle to bridge the gap between university and entering the workforce in this smart driven economy. With people of various backgrounds and skills attending the course I was given the opportunity to work in cross-functional teams and to apply theory I studied at college in identifying solutions to current issues faced by businesses in Ireland today. The programme was structured with an excellent balance of academia and real-world exercises allowing me to develop and broaden my current skills base. I found the entrepreneurial and industry speakers extremely inspiring when they shared with the group the challenges they have faced but more importantly the successes they have achieved in business today. The course was challenging yet thoroughly enjoyable and by retaining my social welfare benefit I was able to focus my time and attention to the assignments that we were tasked with. I believe the Enterprise Evolution Programme has significantly improved my employment profile going forward and instilled in me a confidence to one day start and run my own business.
Robert Deasy B.Eng MSc.
