One Page Summary

We are responding to the Brain Drain Challenge in Friesland by proposing that an informal network of Trained Entrepreneur coaches is created which develops “Train the Trainer” programme in entrepreneurship. These programmes will initially focus on the creative industries and social entrepreneurship as we believe these will be the most immediate way to gain traction with the target groups.

Our experience is that to retain young people in the areas they have grown up in they need to have entrepreneurial skills which enables them to respond to the challenges around them. Without those skills they are more likely to leave culminating in the “brain drain” problem identified in this challenge.

CUSE has developed a highly successful entry level and higher education accredited training programme for entrepreneurs that has been specifically adapted to: 

- Focus on creative entrepreneurs
- Develop social entrepreneurs

Our experience tells us that location is no barrier to success for creatives (indeed it can be a specific advantage) and that if young people are able to solve their own social challenges in their own community then this is more likely to tie them tightly to Friesland.

However what is required is inspiration, role models and leadership.

In UK CUSE CIC has developed a highly successful entrepreneurial training programme that is supported by a physical resource “The Entrepreneur’s Toolkit”. Our proposal therefore is to:
- Train a cohort of young people in the Toolkit and its training programme
- Work with them to develop a plan for delivering training in their own locations

- Work with Jong Ondernemend Fryslân to develop regular coaching hook ups which help these entrepreneurial coaches share and develop their experience 

- Produce a translated physical and virtual Toolkit for sole use by the Coaching network.

Whilst there are many programmes which help people start up in business this programme has been developed with young people and has demonstrated a degree of impact in helping young people and social entrepreneurs into start up.

Our programme works as a support network with a 10 subject matter format. We aim to break conventional boundaries by offering a stream of knowledge development, support and encouragement.

The Toolkit is a unique resource which underpins the ability of an entrepreneur to sustain their business once trading. Balanced with mentors and coaches we are able to create a coherent ecosystem which supports in a sustainable manner a growing group of entrepreneurs.

This programme has been tested in Coventry with over 150 individuals and has led directly to the creation of over 50 start-ups, achieving high level of impact. We believe that it is directly transferable into the Friesland context with only minor adjustments for local context.