Encouraging students to start own businesses

04 Apr 2016

The Straits Times, 4 Apr 2016 - Article featured how the various polys are supporting entrepreneurship among students. At SP, final-year students in the Diploma in Business Administration can take up a year-long entrepreneurship option where they have to complete a final-year project to set up and commercialise their business ideas. About 400 students have been through the programme in the past 10 years, with about 10 per cent continuing their businesses after graduation. Since 2010, SP has also offered a Mentorship Attachment Programme. Under the programme, entrepreneurship students are attached to companies for six weeks where they receive mentorship from a supervisor. At NP, a mentorship programme was launched for alumni in 2013. Five entrepreneurs-in-residence meet student and alumni entrepreneurs once a month to dish out advice or chat about business ideas. TP has also offered a mentorship scheme since 2005 and more than 60 businesses have been launched.