31/12/2017

29/01/2018

The objective of this course is to prepare individuals for self-employment within the creative industries sector. Participants will gain an understanding of how the creative industries sector operates, and will be provided with insights into potential new venture creation opportunities therein. The course will help participants develop entrepreneurial capability, as well as management, accounting and digital marketing. Specific entrepreneurship skills covered by the programme include: management, creative thinking, problem solving, opportunity recognition, idea generation, and business planning (as articulated in the Government’s National Policy Statement on Entrepreneurship in Ireland, October 2014). The inclusion of work placement in the programme will prepare students for careers as employed professionals.Upon completion of this course, participants will either be ready to establish themselves as self-employed creative professionals, or join an established creative industries company as an entrepreneurial employee, adding real value to the business through their creativity and internationalisation skills. The programme is targeted at skilled and qualified individuals across the creative industries who can further their own creative projects or facilitate the development of others through the provision of mentoring and guidance.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this programme, learners should be able to:
1. Understand the nature of the creative industries sector
2. Idenfity potential business opportunities within the sector
3. Apply a range of creative, marketing and internationalisation skills in the workplace
4. Create a plan for a creative industries start up project

Applicants should have an interest in the creative industries and have attained six passes in the Leaving Certificate, including Maths and either Irish or English, and either one Higher Level Grade C3, or a minimum of 200 points. Qualifications deemed equivalent to the above will also be considered.

As DkIT actively encourages applications from mature students, jobseekers who do not meet the above criteria but who have an employment/self-employment history will also be welcome. In such cases, DkIT’s RPL policy will apply, and all shortlisted candidates may be interviewed.

The course comprises four taught modules over two semesters: Management, Accounting, Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurship for the Creative Industries.These are followed by a placement within the creative sector.

Assessment is on the basis of course work and/or exam, and includes a variety of practical assessment methods with direct links to real life industry related projects. Participants on the programme will consider entrepreneurship in terms of new venture creation, 'being enterprising' and career development. Students will follow a design thinking process (problem-solving, ideation, testing) and business
strategies (to market and commercialise) for new venture creation across the creative industries, applying new entrepreneurship and business skills to discipline specific knowledge.

The programme will be delivered in the evening time and may include some Saturday classes. The timetable will not be confirmed until January 2018.

DKIT

Delivery will be a mixture of face to face and online delivery.

Lifelong Learning Centre, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland

+353 (0) 42 9370295

springboard@dkit.ie