Environment YES
Introduction
Places now available for the 2013 competition
What is Environment YES?
Environment YES is a competition centred around a three-day workshop aimed at increasing entrepreneurial awareness. During the workshop, teams of participants prepare an oral business plan for an imaginary environmental start-up company, and present these to a judging panel of experts. Winning teams from the workshops go through to the final in London where they pitch their ideas to compete for £1000 prize money.
Why take part in the Environment YES competition?
The scheme helps participants to develop an understanding of industry needs and highlights the necessary skills to succeed in a non-academic environment. It helps to broaden the career horizons of those who compete, and develops a greater awareness of employment opportunities.
It has been shown that, on average, past participants in the YES scheme have a higher starting salary, higher current salaries and higher salary growth than those who have not participated. Past participants are also more employable as they have gained commercial knowledge and awareness, financial awareness and communication in a commercial setting.
Participants also benefit from developing transferrable skills, improving their confidence and having access to networks and contacts. Reviews of the YES scheme show that, on average, 94 per cent of past participants felt that taking part had improved their employability.
Below is a list of the general and specialist skills that can be gained from participating in Environment YES.
General skills:
- Self-awareness
- Time management
- Teamwork
- Presentation skills
- Networking skills
- Information-seeking skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Management skills
- Communication skills
- Creative thinking
- Problem-solving
- Critical thinking
- Working to deadlines
- Confidence and motivation
- Ambition and drive
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Leaderships skills
Specialist skills:
- Commercial knowledge and awareness
- Skills in innovation and creative thinking
- Pitching skills
- Financial awareness
- Risk assessment
- Marketing skills
Will it help my career prospects?
Yes! This is an opportunity to investigate a career path you may not have considered before and to put your research into a commercial context. Past participants have identified a wide range of skills acquired through taking part in Environment YES (listed above), all of which are beneficial for your CV.
You will also have the opportunity to network with a variety of professionals and with two NERC Directors, who will be happy to talk about their career routes with you.
What is involved? - Details
Environment YES runs as a series of three-day residential workshops. In the morning of the first two days, participants attend presentations from leading figures in industry on all aspects of technology transfer and the commercialisation of science ideas.
Topics covered include:
- The requirements of a business plan
- Intellectual property and patenting strategy
- Financing a new business
- Financial planning
- Commercial and marketing strategies
- Case histories of spin-out companies and business development
This knowledge is then used by participants to prepare an oral business plan presentation for an 'imaginary' environmental or environmental technology start-up company. The team prepares the plan in the afternoons of the first two days, with each member assuming a different role in the company. For example:
- Managing Director
- Finance Director
- Research & Development Director
- Marketing Director
- Operations Director
On the final day the participants make a formal oral presentation of their business plan to a panel comprised of business, financial and academic experts taking the role of venture capitalists. Winning teams are then selected to progress through to the final.
What is the cost?
The cost to teams is free - travel, meals and accommodation are all provided.
Taking part in the competition does involve some time commitment. Past participants have put effort into preparing beforehand, but the rewards are substantial in terms of knowledge and skills gained, networking opportunities and personal development.
We do ask that participants pay a refundable deposit of £250 per team once you have been allocated a place. Providing you attend your allotted workshop your deposit will be refunded. The cost of running Environment YES is £650 per participant and unfortunately when participants cancel we incur charges that are not refundable. Some departments are willing to pay the deposit on behalf of their teams.
When and where will it take place?
The 2013 competition is now open and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until full.
A briefing session will be held in Nottingham on 6 August 2013. At least one member of each team should attend this to find out exactly what to expect at the workshop.
The Environment YES workshops will take place on:
- 9-11 October 2013 in Oxford
- 6-8 November 2013 in Lanarkshire, Scotland
Applicants to the scheme should state on the application form which workshop they would prefer to attend.
The final will be held in London on 2 December 2013.
What do past participants say about Environment YES?
Raeanne Miller, a member of the 2010 winning team said:
"Personally, while Environment YES provided the opportunity for me to explore another aspect of science outside academia and to gain a bit of business acumen, I think a lot of the softer skills we improved upon really paid off, especially public speaking and teamwork. The latter of those was key - without our strong team spirit I don't think we would have achieved as much as we did.
Environment YES is a great opportunity for PhD students to get out of the lab and involved in science entrepreneurship - something which has certainly broadened my perspectives on future career choices."
Other participants have said:
"[The competition] opened up new paths I previously had not thought of."
"[Environment YES] is a really great platform to make researchers aware of the business world."
Who can tell me more?
For further information please contact either Tracey Hassall-Jones or Michal Filtness.