Final Phase of Kirklees Youth Enterprise Centre Evaluation Under Way

Final Phase of Kirklees Youth Enterprise Centre Evaluation Under Way

Innovas Consulting has recently begun work on the third and final phase of the evaluation of the Kirklees Youth Enterprise Centre (KYEC), a £5m part-ERDF project including the construction of an enterprise centre and provision of support and finance to young people looking to start a business.

The centre forms part of the Creative & Media Studio School at Netherhall Learning Campus in Huddersfield and seeks to create an enterprise hub for the creative & media sector. The project provides young people aged 14-19 years and living in Kirklees with access to test trading facilities and business planning support, with the potential to receive start-up g

rants of up to £5,000 and one-to-one business support and mentoring for individuals whose business propositions are approved by a “Dragons’ Den” style panel of local business people.

The evaluation work will culminate in a final report in December 2015 when the project comes to an end. Among the objectives of the evaluation are to review the effectiveness of project implementation in meeting its objectives, to assess its ongoing relevance, to measure the impact of the project on young people and to identify lessons for the future.

The first phase of the evaluation was completed in July 2013. This set out the overall evaluation framework and provided an initial assessment of project progress. Phase two provided an assessment of project delivery and an interim assessment of impact. The final phase examine the impact of the programme on headline project indicators, the wider economy, the priorities and attitudes of partners, young people and the investment priorities of key agencies.

The work adds to Innovas’ extensive track record in evaluating ERDF schemes and those focused on stimulating enterprise among young people. Other recent assignments include an evaluation of EMIN Enterprise’s Partnerships in Knowledge Transfer graduate placement project in the East Midlands and an analysis of entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviour as part of our ongoing evaluation of Welsh Government’s Big Ideas Wales youth enterprise programme.

For more information contact: Simon Hallam

T: 01606 551122 M: 0741 371 810 E: simon.hallam@innovas.co.uk