NUS Entrepreneurship Week 2009 (EWeek), an initiative by the NUS Entrepreneurship Society (NES), is a series of events set to raise the awareness of entrepreneurship among NUS students. EWeek will be held to from 19th to 23rd January 2009 with a series of talks, conferences and competitions, in accordance with the theme "Discover, Explore and unleash the entrepreneur in you". Through these events, students will be exposed to emerging forms of entrepreneurship, including green energy, woman entrepreneurship and web technology. Students are also given opportunities to interact with established entrepreneurs, network with enthusiasts and take part in competitions throughout the week. Visit http://www.nes.org.sg/ for more details!

Young Entrepreneurs Scheme for Schools (YES! Schools)

Young Entrepreneurs Scheme for Schools (YES! Schools)

Provides schools with grants of up to $100,000 to support structured entrepreneurial learning activities

YES! Schools was launched on 10th October 2008 with the objective of nurturing and encouraging students to be enterprising and innovative through ‘hands-on’ entrepreneurship learning opportunities. This scheme will provide funding support for schools to put in place a comprehensive structured entrepreneurship learning programme for their students.

Each year, the schools will have the following amounts to tap on to fund their projects :

a. Up to $100,000 per polytechnic;
b. Up to $50,000 per ITE college; and
c. Up to $10,000 per junior college/centralised institute/secondary school.

Eligibility

YES! Schools is available to polytechnics, ITEs, junior colleges, centralised institute and secondary schools. Projects from primary schools may be funded on a selective basis.

Evaluation Criteria

SPRING will evaluate projects submitted by schools based on the following criteria :

* Entrepreneurship and innovative elements
The proposal should highlight the innovative approach of the project in entrepreneurship learning;

* Holistic approach
The proposal should cover a comprehensive programme on the entrepreneurship learning activities to cultivate a mindset for enterprise among the students and/or teachers;

* Hands-on (experiential) learning component
The proposal should demonstrate the feasibility of the project and outline the steps taken to ensure effective learning outcomes for students. Projects should also require students to put to practical use the lessons learnt; and

* Reach of project
The proposal should indicate the number of students who will benefit from the project.

Apply for YES! Schools

Schools interested in applying for YES! Schools can do so from 1 November 2008.

For any enquiries on YES! Schools, please contact us via email : yes_schools@spring.gov.sg.


For more information on government assistance programmes, please contact the EnterpriseOne hotline at Tel : (65) 6898 1800 or email enterpriseone@spring.gov.sg.

Who says Etiquette class is boring?

I personally think that students nowadays can be rather blessed, the current education system is a lot more flexible and dynamic as compared to when I was a student, allowing students to be exposed to a lot more than just what they need to know to pass exams.

Business Etiquette and Networking is a very good example. We were invited by ITE College West (Clementi Campus) to train their students on business etiquette as well as business networking.

Students get to roleplay as professionals in various fields and then attempt to 'network' with one another. With hilarous results I may add.

Derick and I did the namecard and formality exchange.

'Hi, meet my boss, .....' the class learn about the do's and don't of formal business introductions.

'Nice namecard!' Live demo of what to do and say when meeting new people in a business setting.

The trick to knowing what is the correct volume to use during presentation is that when you cover your ears and speak, you should sound louder in your head than what you would normally be used to. This would mean that you're really projecting.

I've mention before that I really enjoy working with ITE students and I enjoyed having the opportunity to train and interact with the 120 Banking students. Thanks guys. You were great! Look forward to training you soon :) 

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!