Aim of Project
To work with graduate participants on helping them to become entrepreneurs either individually or collectively and generate high value start-ups with high growth potential.
Contact
Dr Sterling Rauseo
Email: s.rauseo@gre.ac.uk
Aim of the 1st stage proposed activity
Partnership building of key stakeholders and scoping of problem related to investigating underemployment of STEM university graduates in Trinidad and Tobago.
Timescales
February – July 2022 with a workshop in Trinidad & Tobago around late May/early June2022
Wider context
This activity forms a sub-activity for multi-countries pilot project to investigate underemployment of university STEM graduates in Trinidad and Tobago (extending with additional funding to other countries in the Caribbean, the Global South and graduates from University of Greenwich (UoG),UK.
Project stages
1 day Workshop in Trinidad and Tobago – late May/mid-June 2022 –
- Of partners to draw together the insights gained for the monthly meetings and come to a consensus of the underemployment problem and roll-out of the entrepreneurial incubation project with the associated activities.
- A steering group of partners from the university, government, business community and NGO youth organisations will be set up to oversee the project and provide guidance to project.
- The UoG partners from the Generator and NRI would join these workshops online via MS Teams or Zoom.
Recruitment of incubator graduates - May/June 2022 –
- Conduct interviews to recruit candidates (about 10 students) for the entrepreneurial incubation programme
- Incubation project starts in August/September 2022 for 3months. Weekly ½ day entrepreneurial sessions with students delivered by UoG professionals and academics with input from TnT partners (where requested)
- Weekly coaching and mentoring conversations 1-2-hrswith participants and coaches and mentors on the projects team (combination of UoG & TnT partners)
Start-up Projects launches and mentoring and coaching assistance – July 2022 – July 2023
- Develop a “Dragon’s Den”/Angel Investor type network of high and low value investor to invest in the investment ideas.
- Participants develop commercially and financially viable products and services by harnessing key stakeholders as a network of support, mentoring, expertise, and financial investment.
Possible Partners needed
Youth-related NGOs, Universities academics in the STEM and business areas (UWI & UTT), Business groups (e.g. Chamber of Industry and Commerce), Government officials(education and innovation & entrepreneurship, economic development), Professional groups (e.g. engineers association, computer science association etc.), Trade Unions and international organisations based in the UK e.g. ILO, CARICOM, UN, embassies - 20 in total.
