The Stretton Centre has been successful in winning a grant to run a pilot entrepreneur project for young people living in the Gawler and northern suburbs area.

The SA Government through the Departments of Premier, Communities and Social Inclusion, Education and Child Development and State Development is funding the $120,000 project.

Local Member of Parliament, Mr Tony Piccolo has worked closely with the Stretton Centre over the past six months to secure funding for the project.

Mr Piccolo said the purpose of the project is to develop those young people with a strong inNovative bent and an entrepreneurial flair who are capable of transforming their ideas into a productive business or social enterprise.

“These young people won’t just create a job for themselves, but also for others,” Mr Piccolo said.

“These new jobs will be the jobs of tomorrow’s economy.

“The anticipated economic outcomes from the project include transforming creative and inNovative ideas into viable business or social enterprises.

“The project will also give economically and/or socially disadvantaged young people in the area an opportunity to upskill themselves.

“Ideally the project will also help to further foster a culture of inNovation and entrepreneurship in the local community

“The project may also lead to participants undertaking post-secondary education in their areas of interests,” he said.

Stretton Centre Director, Mr Dermot Cussen, said the Centre is very pleased to be involved in supporting the development of budding young entrepreneurs.

“It will be great to see participants in the Young Entrepreneurs Pilot Program either go on to build their own businesses or use their skills to help other local business grow,” Mr Cussen said.

“Either way, it will result in the creation of new local jobs and hopefully contribute to the development of a local entrepreneurial culture,” he said.

The Stretton Centre is a wholly owned business unit of the City of Playford and the funds will be managed by the City, under Public Sector Accounting and Audit standards.

The Stretton Centre will engage consultants to deliver various parts of the program as required, including volunteer business mentors.

Collaborators on the project include participating schools and colleges, the Gawler Business Development Group and Business SA, who will all provide valuable links to a range of business mentors.

Young people aged 16-25 living or going to school in the Greater Gawler and Playford City Council areas, are eligible to nominate and 12-15 will be selected through a competitive process.

Deputy Principal at Gawler District College, Mr Paul Hudson said the program is an outstanding opportunity for their students and it recognises that education for the future is more than learning within four classroom walls.

“The program taps into the fact that students are learning to think creatively, inNovatively and as entrepreneurs, working towards jobs that have not even been created yet,” Mr Hudson said.

“It is an exciting venture that sets our students up for success in a global Market,” he said.

Shortly, the Minister for Education and Child Development, the Hon Susan Close MP, will officially launch the project and open the nomination process.