University of Suffolk Employability & Entrepreneurial skills Showcase: Connecting industry and education through collaborative problem solving

Creative solutions to building business in Ipswich. 

‘Make yourself more employable, stand out to employers’ 

Tackling the issue: What is difficult about building business in Ipswich?  
Employers will highlight challenges that they face for participants to solve. 

This project aims to showcase entrepreneurial talent, foster innovation, and strengthen connections between University of Suffolk students, local businesses, and the wider community. Through a series of preparation sessions and a dynamic showcase event, students will choose to explore one of two entrepreneurial pathways either:   

Intrapreneurship—solving real-world business challenges—and/or;   
Entrepreneurship—pitching start-up ideas.   

The initiative seeks to embed the principles of Employability, Entrepreneurship, and Enterprise into student experiences and development, supporting their development of critical skills such as creative thinking, problem-solving, teamwork, and pitching.   

Employers, academics, and community members are invited to participate, creating opportunities for networking ​, feedback, and collaboration. The event not only aims to make Ipswich a thriving hub for innovation but also equips students with the tools to excel in their careers, whether within organisations or as business leaders.​  
 
This collaborative project brings together employers, academics, and community members to celebrate innovation, share expertise, and build meaningful connections. Designed to position Ipswich as a vibrant hub for creativity and growth, the initiative provides a platform for networking, feedback, and collaboration across sectors. 

A key objective is to prepare students for success by equipping them with essential skills and insights for thriving in their future careers. Whether they choose to excel within established organisations or embark on entrepreneurial journeys as business leaders, this project empowers the next generation of graduates to make a lasting impact in their fields. 

By bringing diverse voices together, this project aims to drive progress, strengthen community ties, and position Ipswich as a leader in innovation and opportunity. 

Our aim is to create solutions to everyday problems local businesses face through sector engagement and communication and giving our participants a platform to showcase their ideas of the future.  This will be achieved by 3 preparation sessions that facilitate ideation and intrapreneurial thinking that will act as an idea generation journey in the following session: 
  
Preparation Sessions (Feb/March Thursdays, 12–2 PM)  
Session 1 (S1): External Pitches & Ideation. Thursday 20th February   
Online/recorded pitches by employers presenting real-world challenges.  
Engage students with these challenges to kickstart ideation/or come up with a start-up idea   

Session 2 (S2): Developing and Pitching an idea: Pitch Masterclass Thursday 27th February   
Developing an idea, what next?  
A workshop on creating compelling pitches, storytelling, and presentation skills.  

Session 3 (S3): Pitching Practice. Thursday 6th March   
Hands-on practice with feedback from peers and mentors.  

Showcase Event (Tuesday 11 March)  
Students will pitch their ideas or solutions to employer challenges.  
Two entrepreneurial pathways:  
Intrapreneurs: Tackling real-world business challenges.  
Entrepreneurs: Showcasing start-up ideas.  
Prizes of £100 for winning pitches.  
Employer and academic feedback panels.