Bishop’s celebrates Estrie-preneur program
Bishop’s University is highlighting the end of the second year of the Estrie-preneur program, a partnership between the Williams School of Business of Bishop’s University and the Dobson-lagassé Entrepreneurship Centre.
Estrie-preneur was created in 2015 thanks to a $250,000 gift from Desjardins and, each year until 2020, four businesses located in the Eastern Townships benefit, free of charge, from the work of two entrepreneurship students who work, during an eight-week internship, on a project submitted by the entrepreneurs.
“This program gives our students the opportunity to witness firsthand the challenges that businesses face”, said Francine Turmel, Dean of the Williams School of Business. “It gives them handson experience in a local business, and in turn the company receives innovative solutions. We’re delighted to see that the program is having a positive impact for both the businesses and the students, and that our partnership with Desjardins and the Dobson-lagassé Centre is bearing fruit.”
Jessy Melançon, Manager, Commercial and Industrial Market Business Development at Desjardins Entreprises, emphasized that this program is yet another example of the organization’s commitment to education and entrepreneurship.
“Desjardins is very proud to be linked to Estrie-preneur,” Melançon said. “Innovation and audacity are two qualities that entrepreneurs must show when creating a business, and those qualities are surely beneficial for the economic and social development of a society. We recognize that building the next generation of entrepreneurs is critical to the health of the economy.”
The eight students who participated in the program were helped and coached by Vincent Cloutier, a lecturer at the Williams School of Business and instructor and supervisor for the second year of the Estrie-preneur program.
“The students who participated in the program impressed me a great deal throughout their internship. They deserve much credit for the exemplary seriousness and rigour they displayed. They also applied the knowledge they gained during their time in class,” Cloutier said.