Young entrepreneurs eager to make their mark will be able to get started faster thanks to a new agreement between Kwantlen Polytechnic University and YELL Canada.
YELL runs a full year entrepreneurship program for students in Grades 10-12 in most Metro Vancouver school districts. Now, students who satisfactorily complete the YELL program will receive credit for the introduction to entrepreneurship course at KPU.
“The collaboration between secondary and post-secondary education is an important partnership in assisting young students to get the most out of their education,” says Stephanie Howes, dean of the Melville School of Business at KPU. “One such way is for post-secondary institutions to recognize rigorous extra-curricular programs in high schools that set up students to be successful when choosing to continue their education at the university level. The YELL program is an excellent example of one of these programs.”
Howes says the YELL program directly shares the values and many learning outcomes of a first year course within the entrepreneurial leadership program in the Melville School of Business.
“Students who successfully complete the YELL program are uniquely prepared for the university level business school and we want to recognize their efforts,” adds Howes. “We look forward to welcoming them to our business school.”
Maggie Sew, a graduate of the Wilson School of Design at KPU, says the YELL program gave her many useful skills that helped her through university and students are responsible for how much they take away from the course.
“The flexible nature of the program gives students a taste of what independent learning is like in university,” says Sew. “My favourite aspect of the course was the self-directed learning process. This allowed each student to tailor the program to fit their learning speed and style. The time management skills that the YELL program has taught me provided a great foundation to start my education with at KPU.”
“I have since built my time management and self-directed learning skills to a highly productive level. These are incredibly important abilities to have in the fashion industry, an industry where designers are self-made and rely on their own efforts and skills to achieve their goals.
“The YELL program combined with studies at KPU makes me feel confident and secure about my future because I know I have the capabilities to achieve anything I set my mind to.”
Amit Sandhu, managing director of YELL Canada, says: “We are thrilled to welcome KPU to the growing list of post secondary institutions recognizing the importance of entrepreneurial education by offering a credit opportunity for YELL alumni. This partnership provides YELL alumni with an opportunity to further develop and foster their entrepreneurial skills and knowledge at KPU.”