30 Jul Innovation in the east!
A jointly funded programme between Enterprise CUBE and the Natwest Skills and Opportunities Fund has come to a close after having helped nearly 150 people explore enterprise and self-employment through an innovative blended learning approach. Taking best practice in face to face and online learning, participants have report increased levels of financial knowledge, increased enterprise skills and increased confidence.
Laura Mumford, Director at Enterprise CUBE and Project Lead said, “The project has clearly demonstrated how our innovative support can work alongside government enterprise schemes and traditional models of enterprise support. The innovative Strive East project has been ideal at helping those furthest from the job market to reach accessible, simple and supportive enterprise provision, in a region where communities can be isolated and lack the resources of many other UK regions.”
The CUBE Team have been delighted to build new partnerships with the HMP prison service and the local Job Centre network across Suffolk and Norfolk. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to expand our work into a new region and to reach new communities. And best of all, it’s been brilliant to see new businesses launch here.
As is so often the case, the aspiring start-ups we meet are not only thinking of their own futures, as one participant illustrated, saying, “I’ve recently moved back to Lowestoft and want to invest in the economy here, which is what’s inspired me to create this business. It was great to have access to ‘hard’ business skills and support.”
With over 21 businesses already launched in the region, and 5 people getting new jobs so far, we’re excited to see what else the future holds for all the aspiring start-ups we have met during the StriveEast project and the impact they’ll have on their communities and the wider region.