1)Title of the Practice
Inculcating Entrepreneurial Aspiration among Students
Siena College of Professional Studies, Edakochi has a long tradition of promoting Entrepreneurship. The best practice identified by our institution revolves around the deliberate cultivation of entrepreneurial aspirations among our student body. Through the establishment and active engagement of the Entrepreneurship Development (ED) Club, our college has successfully created a conducive environment for nurturing entrepreneurial talent and mindset among students. The club has come up with many outstanding works, and its initiatives have inspired students to pursue their entrepreneurial goals even more. The Entrepreneur Development Club of our college has been actively involved in creating an entrepreneurial culture among the students and equipping them with the skills. The Seminars, webinars, industrial visits, exhibitions and various other events were organised to support and encourage students. The main objective of the club was to give exposure to various aspects of entrepreneurship to students during their course of study. Over the years, the club has organized many such programmes. Apart from the club various departments also has initiated several programs and activities to inculcate Entrepreneurship development among students, Womens Cell in the college has initiated programs relating to book binding and bulb making to inspire a spirit of entrepreneurship among girl students.
2)Aims and Objectives
- Promoting entrepreneurial aspirations among students
- Organize interactive sessions with successful entrepreneurs.
- Organize interactive sessions with Industrial Extension Officers to make the students aware of unlimited development potential of the state.
- Organize industrial visits to business enterprises.
- Conduct exhibitions to explore the talents of the students.
- Organize workshops and motivational sessions.
- Provide opportunities to exhibit the innovative ideas of the students
- Give visibility and recognition to student and alumni entrepreneurs.
3)Context
The Department of Industries and Commerce , Government of Kerala , in association with the Education Department formulated a Scheme to set up “Entrepreneurship Development Clubs in colleges of the state to inculcate “Entrepreneurship Culture “ among the students. The ED club of our college has been registered with the District Industries Centre under the Entrepreneurship Development Programme of the Department of Industries and Commerce, Govt of Kerala with registration No. EDC/EKM/58/2018 . It has been functioning in our college from 2018 onwards in order to inculcate entrepreneurship culture and aspirations among the students and equip them with the knowledge, skill, techniques and confidence which will enable them to set up their own business concern and thereby become employers, not employees.From then, the ED club has stood with the student communities and supported the alumni entrepreneurs with many programmes and workshops organised. Since its inception, the club has been dedicated to equipping students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and confidence to embark on entrepreneurial ventures.
The college, under the support and guidance of the ED Club has conducted many sales and fairs in the college. They include Christmas Sales, Ice Cream Fests, Food Fests and entrepreneurial exhibitions. These sales and Fairs were a great opportunity for the students to network and showcase their products and enhance their skills. The ED Club of our college in association with other departments, especially, the Management Department of the College has conducted several seminars and webinars. These seminars and webinars greatly strive to make the students aware of the unlimited development potentials inculcate entrepreneurial culture in the students. The sessions taken by the alumni of the college who became entrepreneurs were organised. These programmes were energy boosters for the student community.
4)The Practice
- Interactive Sessions: Students of our college are given a significant amount of the interactive sessions and motivational talks to encourage our students to entrepreneurship. The interactive sessions with eminent career development trainer, motivator and mentalist Mr. Sanju P Cheriyan, the session with Mrs. Sheela Kochousep Chittilappalli, Director of V-Star and Mr. Muhammad Kutty, Managing Director of Falcon, were conducted.
- Exhibition: The College ED Club has conducted exhibitions of various products made by the ED Club members. In the exhibition, various products made by the ED Club members were exhibited. There were almost 13 stalls set up. The stalls consisted of products made by ED club members including paper bags, paper files, paper pens, umbrellas, chalks, agarbatties, candles, mats, craft items, ornaments, glass paintings, dress designing, variety bags, flower pots, organic baskets, food items etc. in the stalls.
- Fests: The college has conducted various food fests in the last five academic years as a part of developing the entrepreneur zeal of the students. Christmas Sales, Ice Cream Fests, Food Fests and entrepreneurial exhibitions were conducted. The entrepreneur exhibitions were particularly correlated with the protection and conservation of the environment
- Industrial Visits: Industrial visits were conducted for extending the knowledge acquisition of the students.
5)Evidence of Success
Many of the alumni of the college have entered into business and have become successful entrepreneurs. Through a comprehensive array of activities and initiatives, our college is actively nurturing an environment conducive to entrepreneurial aspirations among students. By providing opportunities for practical engagement, fostering awareness through seminars and interactive sessions, and facilitating industry exposure, the Entrepreneurship Development Club continues to inspire and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs. With steadfast dedication and support from all stakeholders, we are confident in our ability to cultivate a vibrant culture of entrepreneurship within our college community.
Various activities and initiatives have been undertaken to instill the spirit of entrepreneurship among students. These include organizing sales and fairs, conducting seminars and webinars featuring successful entrepreneurs, hosting interactive sessions with industry experts, showcasing student-made products through exhibitions, and facilitating industrial visits. These efforts have not only provided students with practical exposure to entrepreneurship but have also inspired them to explore entrepreneurial opportunities with confidence and enthusiasm.
6) Problems Encountered and Resources Required
- Limited financial resources or capital.
- Inadequate infrastructure or technology