Students at entrepreneurship masterclass at Ormeau Baths

Students at entrepreneurship masterclass at Ormeau Baths

4 April 2018

AMBITIOUS students from Blackwater Integrated College in Downpatrick got the chance to learn from the leading lights of tech business start-ups when they travelled to the Ormeau Baths in Belfast.

The business and entrepreneurship masterclass held there recently was part of a unique partnership between the Carson Awards Programme of the Integrated Education Fund (IEF), Ormeau Baths and Young Enterprise NI.

The project launch brought together more than 50 young people from three colleges to benefit from the experience of some of the brightest entrepreneurs in Belfast’s flourishing digital technology sector. 

The masterclass was suggested by two of Northern Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs, Mark Dowds and Tony Carson.  Mark is one of the co-founders of the Ormeau Baths and also Trov Inc, one of the world’s fastest growing insurance technology companies. 

Ormeau Baths is a shared work space and tech community based out of an historic former bath house.

Tony is an investor who also established the IEF Carson Awards Programme with his late father, comedian Frank Carson.

The students from Blackwater Integrated College joined those of Priory and Strangford Integrated Colleges to face a creative challenge devised by Young Enterprise and worked in teams with the support of volunteers from a number of the companies based at Ormeau Baths. 

Speaking after the event, Blackwater student David Irvine said: “I’ve learnt so much and had fun at the same time; it was great to team up with new people and make new friends. It was very challenging to tackle some of the tasks but also very inspiring and we had plenty of encouragement from the experts.  

“I intend to be an actor and a day like today helps develop those important skills for whatever the future holds. There should be more of these events so that more young people can benefit.”

Tony Carson said that he was glad to be supporting the masterclass.

“Having established and helped develop the Carson Awards scheme it’s great to see this initiative inject creativity into business – and inject a bit of business sense into creative types,” he said. “The creative industries sector is definitely a growth area and it’s vital to nurture young talent. I’m delighted to support this initiative and look forward to seeing these young people become part of Northern Ireland’s success story.”

Mark Dowds added: “We exist to find and develop entrepreneurs who can shape the knowledge economy in Northern Ireland. By partnering with Carson Awards and Young Enterprise, we are excited to shape a programme tailored to those who don’t take the normal path or career. We are looking for the young people who seem distracted or stare out the window on an average day. Some of the brightest are more interested in business than books. We would like to help them.”