Napier University Edinburgh

Napier University Lifelong Learning

Key partner: The Craigmillar Partnership

EQUAL Theme F: 'Worklife Adaptability project' 'Urban Regeneration through e-Business' (URBan)

The URBan project is a partnership project between Napier University and the Craigmillar Community which aims to create, enable and support;

Enterprising individuals, businesses and communities in Craigmillar

There are 4 proposed projects require that will utilise the £300,000 project resource, all of which will exclusively focus on the community of Craigmillar.

Project 1

Support the Craigmillar Community and 20+ live community projects to embed a greater level of entrepreneurial drive and skills in approaching existing workloads and identifying new projects including income generation.

This will build entrepreneurial capacity within the Craigmillar community, sustainability of service and income as well as the improve the visability of the Craigmillar model of 'bottom-up' empowerment and social re-engineering.

Anticipated support services:

• TNA
• Train the trainer (in-house trainers trained)
• Business / Enterprise / Consultancy / Entrepreneurial skills
• Project employees
• Businesses
• Agency development: Craigmiller Training Agency

Anticipated Outcomes: The project will create Trainers; Business Consultants; Business Planners; Sectorial specialists (i.e. community development and social regeneration and childcare)

Project 2

Development and populations of an online Craigmillar community information resource support e-democracy allowing education and information access for all through e-learning and e-democracy building the IT infrastructure capacity within Craigmillar

Anticipated support services:

• Identify existing web resources and effectiveness
• Identify local IT resources and support their development linked to external mentors to design and manage the facility
• Design and implement an effective community portal that enables effective e-learning; e-information and e-democracy
• Host all relevant e-learning entrepreneurship courses available and developed
• Introduce and market the power of ICT to develop individual, business and community entrepreneurship
• Signpost and support the delivery of beginners sessions to empower and encourage the uptake and use of new and existing community ICT systems and resources

Anticipated Outcomes: Craigmillar online resource hosted and managed locally, populated with new and existing information and utilised by local residents, businesses and community organisations

Support, inform and train individuals and businesses to populate and utilise the new resource leading to greater ICT awareness, knowledge and thus community involvement

Project 3

Identifying and accessing entrepreneurial opportunities of major enterprise growth opportunities near Craigmillar i.e.

• Newcraighall Retail Park
• Little France Bio-medical park

Anticipated support services:

• Train liaison officer(s) to identify and communicate opportunities for Craigmillar businesses and entrepreneurs
• Complete short research study of economic opportunities to Craigmillar and comparison with other major developments into urban regeneration centres in Europe
• Complete TNA of available skills and facilities in Craigmillar compared with identified opportunities and development plans
• Identify and support relevant skills shortages among Craigmillar businesses to access, tender and manage these opportunities

Anticipated Outcomes: Research report clearly identifying economic and social opportunities for Craigmillar, skill shortages and training needs of local workforce and new business creation opportunities Provide and signpost beneficiaries to fulfil these training needs

Project 4

e-Business support for key existing growth businesses utilising new and existing ICT infrastructure and enhancing skills to develop business while creating a better work life balance.

Anticipated support services:

• Identify 10 key growth businesses in the Craigmillar community and apply effective business planning and implementation of IT solutions
• Work and Review the key community organisations with Craigmillar, their use of ICT as an effective communication and information sharing mechanism
• Devise and adapt e-Business workshops specifically designed for community based business growth
• Review and introduce the benefits of existing local IT infrastructure into the community, business participants

Anticipated Outcomes: Create real economic growth and social renewal by championing and supporting 10 businesses / organisations towards real long term economic development, job creation and local pride.

Further Information Contact:

Ed Craig
Head of Enterprise,Lifelong Learning
Napier University

e.craig@napier.ac.uk
Tel: 0131 455 6357
Mob: 07879 661250