January 19, 2010

Entrepreneurship scholarships available for the unemployed

The UW Parkside Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has received funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to make scholarships available to those impacted by unemployment to develop skills in entrepreneurship.

The scholarships will provide tuition and course materials coverage for individuals seeking to develop a business plan through the Small Biz business planning series offered in Kenosha beginning February 4, and in Racine, beginning March 1.

“With unemployment rates hovering at more than 10 percent, we have seen our entrepreneurship courses double in demand. Developing new businesses with job creation potential will be critical to the region’s long-term economic sustainability,” said Matthew Wagner, Ph.D., Director, UW Parkside SBDC.

It is critical that individuals contemplating starting their own business as an alternative to traditional employment receive counseling and training prior to launch, he said.

The scholarships cover tuition and course materials for the Small Biz planning series held in conjunction with the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Support Corporation (WWBIC).

Priority will be given to those impacted or soon to be impacted by difficulties within the auto industry.

“As a condition of the scholarship, recipients are required to complete the course and submit a business plan that scores high enough to meet the evaluation criteria established through the State’s Entrepreneurial Training Program,” Wagner said.

Funding from the U.S. EDA was made through a partnership involving UW Parkside, Gateway Technical College, UW Whitewater and Walworth County Economic Development Alliance.

For more information, please contact Matthew Wagner at 595-3363 or visit www.parksidesbdc.com.

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