Changes

<span style="color:#000000;"> The (I&E)^2 strategic priority is aimed at providing as much value as possible to students, with already existing resources and spaces. The social climate at the time of writing is currently under isolation to avoid the spreading of COVID-19, proving the educational enrichment of Innovation and Entrepreneurship difficult to engage with for students. Simultaneously, universities are attempting to cope with the difficulties of a pandemic.  After conducting research and student engagement, it was found that the initial assumptions of Innovation and Entrepreneurship being unknown to students was incorrect. It was often the case that whilst students didn’t know the exact definition of I&E, its lack of perceived value did not draw many students to engage further.  This defined our first opportunity space: "How might we demonstrate the benefits of Innovation & Entrepreneurship to students?". How can we engage students with innovation and entrepreneurship in such a way that it demonstrates a value and benefit? This premise inspired the proposal to utilise the FEIT iHub as a space to centralise resources, mentoring opportunities and the potential for ideas to grow in an environment that is a hotspot for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. As a (currently) open plan space, this could be utilised as a connection hub for students looking to propagate themselves in industry and add value that reaches far beyond their degree, even if they don’t know what they are looking for.<span style="font-size:small;">...</span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:medium;"> How do we do this? </span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:small;"> Delivering new assets to the iHub are unfavourable in the current climate as research and development provide little return for the space. As such, an opportunity for partnership with an organisation referred to as Real Skills Education (RSE) was forged.RSE offers programs, events and experiences to university students that have proven successful over a number of years in universities such as UNSW and WSU.Key milestones in the development of a partnership with RSE in the iHub include:</span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:medium;">Milestone 1 - Testing the waters</span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:small;">RSE hosts events centred in the iHub that provide students with opportunities to engage and learn industry skills that will benefit them in the future.The aim of this is to test the engagement of students and expose them to the uses of iHub as a unique resource.</span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:medium;"> Milestone 2 - A light swim </span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:small;"> Engagement with students and the iHub is proving successful and space is being utilised as intended. RSE will begin rolling out its STEM Career Launchpad Program, where skills including goal setting, inventive/systematic thinking, applying brainstorming and reasoning frameworks and numerous other skills are fostered. This is intended for students looking to engage in the innovation space, and first year students to introduce them to the innovation ecosystem at UTS.</span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:medium;">Milestone 3 - The Race</span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:small;">All students are invited to the STEM Leadership program hosted by RSE, whereby students are tasked with solving real industry problems and engaging with Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Students fortify the knowledge conveyed to them in past programs about the uses of I&E, and understand how the job market is changing toward a more creative and innovative workforce.</span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:medium;"> Milestone 4 - One with the sea </span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:small;"> The influence and integration of innovation and entrepreneurship is centred around what has been facilitated by Real Skills Education in the iHub. The iHub is recognised as the place to go for all things industry engagement and development. The events and influence hosted here inspire more bodies around the university to provide students with the opportunity of enriching their education using I&E.</span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:small;"> ------------- </span></span> <span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:small;">The overall intention of the above milestones are to challenge the current environment where only students who are interested in I&E will engage with the relevant opportunities. The idea in this case is not to sell the Innovation Hub as a useful space, rather, to present the benefits of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to students who would not engage with it otherwise. To convey the iHub as the go-to place for educational opportunities and a chance to further students in industry.Where the best case scenario is someone strikes gold with an award winning startup idea facilitated by their engagement with events at the iHub and the worst case is they leave with new skills supporting them and a widened outlook on the opportunities available to them.</span></span>