1. A student perspective on extra-curricular enterprise impact
Sarah Stevenson
Eleanor Browne
Amber Strong
Feyi Ogunyeye

2. The importance of Extracurricular enterprise provision and impact – UK context
Extra-curricular enterprise activities have been identified as beneficial in supporting in class learning and encouraging student’s enterprise knowledge, skills and experience (Edwards and Muir, 2005; Hannon, 2007; NIRAS, 2008).
Recognising the value of extra-curricular enterprise activities many Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have incorporated them into their wider extracurricular offer, in particular to focus on the practical component of enterprise education.
The UK Government believes that entrepreneurial graduates are crucial to socio-economic growth, and universities are the organisations critically placed to foster this entrepreneurial activity (Abreu and Grinevich, 2013; Universities UK, 2013; BIS, 2014).
Participation in extra-curricular activities is one way students can contribute to their own personal development (Atkins, 1999; Jones and Hill, 2003; Kuh, 1995). For example, the 2010 Survey of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education (Rae et al, 2010) reported that extra-curricular enterprise activities are an essential means of raising student awareness of enterprise and providing opportunities to develop skills and confidence in practical ways.

3. Student Enterprise Journey @ Plymouth University
Awareness
Igniting Enterprise Society
Drop-in events
Social media
In curriculum talks
Guest speakers
Innovation
Ideation workshops
Idea development workshops
Planning
BETA Enterprise programme
FZ Business Challenge
Testing
Formation Zone pre-start support
Launching
Formation Zone Incubator
Growing

4. Diary of an aspiring entrepreneur Feyi Ogunyeye
Igniting Enterprise
NACUE
BETA Enterprise and the launch of BrighThinking Ltd
Formation Zone
Pitching in the first SOUP Plymouth event.

5. Points of interest
FZ Business challenge 2015/16 students: 11% female, 89% male
Before / after scoring of knowledge and confidence in key business areas on average doubled.
BETA Enterprise programme 2015/2016 students by gender: female (15%), male (85%).
BETA Enterprise programme 2015/2016 students by Faculty: Faculty of Business 71%, Faculty of Science & Engineering 20%, Faculty of Arts & Humanities 6%, Faculty of Health & Human Sciences 1.5%, Schools of Medicine & Dentistry 1.5%.
Formation Zone incubator current: 16 companies, 32 individuals (directors and employees): 32.
75% male, 25% female, 50% Plymouth graduates.
Students reported participating in extra-curricular enterprise activities for many reasons, the most popular being ‘interest’, followed by ‘enhancement of employability’.
Students engaged in enterprise activities improved across all competencies, with significant improvements in ‘resilience’ and ‘perseverance’. Yet in the non-engagement groups, most competencies decreased. This strongly suggests that extracurricular enterprise activities are useful for improving students’ personal competencies.
Further details at the full session on the 29th March, pm in Rolle 115.