King's College London's Entrepreneurship Programmes Provide Opportunities for Widening Participation Students

King's College London's entrepreneurial summer internships provided 24 students from a widening participation background with the opportunity to develop their skills and experience in start-ups. The programmes, which ran for nine weeks over the summer, included the Gamechangers programme and internship experience in start-ups founded by King's students or alumni. Both programmes aimed to support students in gaining key experiences and skills for their CVs to become future leaders and help them stand out in competitive job markets.

Key Takeaways:

• 24 students from a widening participation background participated in the entrepreneurial summer internships, with 10 students in the Gamechangers programme and 14 students in internship experience in start-ups.
• The programmes ran for nine weeks over the summer, culminating in a joint reflective presentation event, followed by networking.
• Students gained experience in various areas, including marketing, business strategy, research, product development, and more.
• The programmes are open exclusively to current students from a widening participation background who face barriers when accessing or engaging in entrepreneurial activities.
• The entrepreneurial summer internships provide students with the opportunity to gain first-hand experiences in a start-up and develop skills in a supportive environment.
• The Gamechangers programme was created in 2023 and guides students through the process of starting a business, with access to workshops, sessions on the Seven Skills of an Entrepreneurial Mindset, and mentoring from Experts-in-Residence.
• The programme supports students in developing and launching an idea into the world, with ideas relating to environmental sustainability, community, and cybersecurity education.
• Students who participated in the programmes developed key skills, including public speaking, disruptive thinking, and teamwork, and gained confidence in a safe and supportive environment.

Statistics:

• 10 students participated in the Gamechangers programme, and 14 students gained internship experience in start-ups founded by King's students or alumni.
• Both programmes ran for nine weeks over the summer.
• 24 students from a widening participation background participated in the entrepreneurial summer internships.
• 6 start-ups were involved in the programme, including Arthos AI, CarbonTag, Find Care Compare, The Kusp Hub, The Weird Gripper Company, and PharosAI.

Sources:

• King's College London press release, no date provided.