THURSDAY 31st MARCH 2011

Independent assessment praises BSEEN programme successes

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BSEEN, a scheme to support employability and enterprise among recent graduates, has been praised in an independent assessment for supporting over 350 recent graduates and students from Birmingham’s three universities.

BSEEN, a collaboration between Aston University, Birmingham City University and University of Birmingham, and funded by Birmingham City Council’s Working Neighbourhoods Fund, was found to have helped meet key regional economic imperatives of retaining graduates in the region, increasing skill level of the workforce and increasing innovation and enterprise across the region.

The findings of the assessment, undertaken by Renew Consulting, were made public at a dissemination event held recently at Birmingham Council House.

Deborah de Haes from Renew Consulting commented:

BSEEN demonstrated good value for money for the investment of public funds, supporting 90 businesses and helped to create at least 30 new businesses.

As well as these quantifiable outputs, it was also clear that the programme helped accelerate and embed culture change at the partner universities towards understanding the importance of enterprise and innovation as key elements, not only of business start-ups but also of employability. There appears to be a real and growing awareness among students that setting up their own business is a genuine career option.

The 17-month project is due to come to an end, but because of its success, the universities are keen to ensure BSEEN continues whilst alternative funding applications are submitted and processed.

Professor Helen Higson, Senior Pro-Vice Chancellor at Aston University, said:

New businesses, whether ‘life-style’ businesses or growth businesses employing others and generating wealth, all contribute to some degree to the regional economy. Even when graduates decide not to continue with their own businesses but to seek employment, they take with them invaluable skills of self-confidence, enterprise and innovation to their new employer, a further long-term benefit to the economy. Before this programme there was a real gap in provision to support graduates who wanted to take an entrepreneurial career path. We’re therefore extremely keen that the programme should be sustained, whether through new public funding or through private or community sector funding.

For further information about the work BSEEN has carried out, please contact Professor Higson on h.e.higson@aston.ac.uk.