Next stop Stow College for business start-up bus

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

6^th November 2012

Next stop Stow College for business start-up bus

A double-decker bus, packed with business and enterprise experts, is set to arrive at Stow College today (Tuesday 6^th November).

Backed by top firms including Dell, AXA, PayPal and Intuit, the StartUp Britain bus is touring 40 universities and colleges across the UK targeting up to 10,000 potential business leaders of the future and Stow College is it’s only Scottish stop.

On board, the bus will have specialist mentors and successful entrepreneurs giving students support, guidance and advice on how they can get funding to start up new enterprises. There will also be information about the £82m StartUp Loans scheme for people aged 18 to 24, announced earlier this year, including an opportunity to apply for the loans there and then.

Dr Robert McGrory, Principal of Stow College said: “We are delighted to be the only Scottish College to be visited by the Startup Britain Bus. Giving our students access to real world business advice and guidance is a key element in our strategy to develop an entrepreneurial culture within further education in Scotland.  This is an excellent opportunity for all of our students.”

A recent report from the RSA charity in partnership with the National Centre for Social Research found that the ‘millennial generation’ has an “unprecedented entrepreneurial spirit” with almost one-third of those aged 20 to 29-years-old wanting to start their own business. According to separate analysis commissioned by Royal Bank of Scotland Group from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, the percentage of this age group who are in the process of setting up their own companies has risen by 50% in the last year alone.

StartUp Britain co-founder Emma Jones commented: “We are seeing more and more young people setting up businesses.  Research has shown eight out of ten young people think about setting up a business these days as a career path, or a way to turn a hobby into a money-spinning idea.

“Reports suggest this boom in entrepreneurialism is down to the ‘millennial generation’ grasping both the power of modern technology and the internet. These young people represent part of the future of business and our economic prosperity - that’s why it’s so important to offer them support by delivering the message that they can set up a business, there is support out there for them – and that we’ll be with them every step of the way, cheering loudly!”

The bus will be visiting the Main Campus Stow College 43 Shamrock Street, Glasgow from 1pm – 4pm on 6^th November.

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Notes to Editors:

About StartUp Britain:

The StartUp Britain campaign is backed by Government but operates as a fully private sector supported venture. It was founded by eight individuals and business owners and is sponsored by AXA, Dell, Intel, Intuit, PayPal and Magento Go. Its role is to inspire, accelerate and celebrate entrepreneurship. www.startupbritain.co

About Gazelle:

Launched at the Association of Colleges Conference in November 2011, Gazelle has been created by Gazelle Global, a company founded by five college principals with an exclusive focus on building a recognisable cluster of entrepreneurial colleges within the next five years.

Gazelle brings together leaders from the private and public sectors who are committed to deploying entrepreneurship as a strategic driver for change in the education sector. Gazelle intends to harness the exceptional experience and expertise of entrepreneurs who have succeeded in business, are proven creators of wealth and who are willing to bring their experience of growing successful businesses into the heart of the further education sector.

'Gazelles' are dynamic, fast-growth young businesses, making the greatest impact on growth, wealth creation and employment opportunities in Britain today. Gazelle is committed to mirroring these attributes to accelerate the adoption of enterprising attitudes throughout education.

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Image: The StartUp Britain Bus Tour at The University of East London.

For more information, contact: Brian O’Neill, Halogen Communications, (T) 0131 202 0120 (F) 0131 225 3757 (E) brian@halogencom.com