Generation Innovation
Aims to inform, upskill and empower the young people of this generation to thrive as the next leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs of the future
Generation Innovation
Our suite of programmes
Workshops
Impact Day
Work Experience
What is the Generation Innovation Work Experience Programme?
Generation Innovation is a future-focused Work Experience Programme designed to empower, enable, and upskill young people for the workplace of tomorrow. With its foundations grounded in the principles of Design Thinking, Generation Innovation is a one-of-a-kind programme that gives young people a real-world working experience with some of the most innovative companies making a dent in the universe.
This Work Experience Programme is for all 17-18-year-olds interested in accelerating their career development, gaining awareness of the skills needed for tomorrow’s world, and building an innovation mindset through Design Thinking training.
During the programme, students will be paired with innovative employers, such as Coca-Cola, FinTru or EY, and will learn how to work as part of a new team. Their skills will be put to the test to solve a real-life company challenge, developing a solution before pitching it to the partner company and fellow peers.
Thank you to the Department for the Economy for supporting Generation Innovation.
Dates and Locations
The 2024 programme will involve 700 students this June for 3 in-person events.
Option 1:
11th – 14th June | Derry-Londonderry, The Millennium Forum
Option 2:
17th – 21st June | Belfast, Catalyst, Queen’s Road
Option 3:
24th – 27th June | Dungannon, The Junction
Applications for the 2024 Work Experience Programme are now closed.
The Generation Innovation 2024 Work Experience Programme
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Who is it for?
Anyone aged 17-18 years old.
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How much will it cost?
Nothing – it’s free to attend!
Why apply for the Generation Innovation Work Experience programme?
Benefits of attending
What's Included
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Hosted in-person
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Work with some of Northern Ireland's most exciting and innovative companies
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Receive free limited edition apparel merchandise and win extra prizes
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Free to attend
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Access to the Generation Innovation Alumni network
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Have fun and meet other young people
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Accelerate your development by learning about exciting future career prospects
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Receive training from expert facilitators
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Learn in a fun, energetic, and highly engaging way that'll inspire and empower you for the future
Skills you'll gain
What's Included
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Communication Skills
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Teambuilding
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Build Emotional Resilience
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Learn Problem-Solving Skills
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Creativity
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Presentation and Pitching Skills
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User-centred Design
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Design-led Thinking Skills
The Work Experience Programme within Generation Innovation showed me how to accept others' ideas and appreciate their skillsets. I got to experience what it was like to solve a real challenge, present to a real company and work in a professional environment, something many work experience programmes do not offer. I have met so many new people and thoroughly enjoyed the chance to roll my sleeves up and get stuck in!
Rose Templeton, Generation Innovation Alumni Student
Generation Innovation | Workshop
Our workshops are open to all 16-18-year-old groups (5th-U6th years), completely free of charge.
All we ask from you is that your classroom or assembly hall is set up with tables and chairs and that we have access to a projector – it’s that easy!
Please note that workshops are limited and so we advise you to book ahead of time. Workshops will only be delivered to a minimum of 20 students.
This year, we have expanded our offering to give you the option between three workshops.
Students will also have early access to register for the Generation Innovation Work Experience Programme at each workshop!
Our 3 Workshop offerings
Skills to pay the bills
This workshop will help your students stretch their imagination and begin a journey exploring:
What's Included
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The Innovation Mindset.
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Upskilling for the future job market, giving the inside track into what employers look for.
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Careers in tech, innovation & entrepreneurship.
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Presentation & interview techniques.
Diving into design
This workshop will help students learn about the benefits of adopting a Design–Thinking mindset and will cover areas such as:
What's Included
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What is design?
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Applying the Design–Thinking approach to real-life business challenges.
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Diving deeper with a mini-design sprint.
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Pitching your ideas back.
Exploring Entrepreneurship
This workshop will demystify entrepreneurship for students and help them understand how they can turn their ideas into reality by:
What's Included
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Defining entrepreneurship
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Outlining the steps in creating an actionable plan, and setting up and running a business.
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Expanding your students’ marketing and branding knowledge through interactive exercises.
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Showcasing inspirational entrepreneurs.
Generation Innovation | Impact Day
Fuel ambition, spark ideas and empower your students through design thinking.
What is an Impact Day?
A one-day, fully immersive design thinking experience for groups of 90+ students aged 16-18-years-old (5th-U6th years) held onsite at your venue. No need to mobilise, we’ll come to you and take your students on a design thinking journey that will lead them from identifying a problem, working through several stages to iterate and design a prototype/solution all in the one day.
On this journey, your students will learn important skills at each stage, including user-centred design, working in a team and critical thinking. The impact day will also help foster soft skills such as empathy, emotional intelligence, and resilience.
What happens on the day?
Our team of design thinking trainers will come to your venue and will deliver a design sprint, working through several stages of the design thinking methodology. During the design sprint, there will be creative icebreakers and fun games to stimulate ideas and keep the energy alive.
Empathise
Understanding the user base and ‘consumer’, how they interact with the world/system or product, and understanding their needs and behaviours.
Define
Together each team will work together to define a problem and then design solution for it. This could even be applied to improving something within your everyday life, asking the question ‘How might we…?
Ideate
Our team will work with your students in different groups and walk them through an ideation phase where they can start to design and develop a solution for the defined problem. Here, students will contribute ideas, challenge assumptions, and work together as a team to develop a solution.
Present
At the end of the day each team will present their solution to the group in a very welcoming and engaging environment.
We will finish the day with a visit from a number of our partner companies who will demonstrate some innovative technology and share their own start-up journey. Students will become part of the Generation Innovation community and will be given branded merchandise to remember the experience alongside resources to continue their journey.
What is the criteria for an Impact Day?
- Students must be 16-to-18-year-olds (5th to U6th years)
- Minimum of 90 students
- Impact Days are delivered between 9am and 3pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Students must be available during this time & day
- Access to technology including projector, screen, and speakers
- A minimum of one additional breakout room
- Tables of no more than 8 students
- Technician onsite
- Access to the space from 7:30am to set up
- Images of the hosting space and breakout room(s) sent to the Generation Innovation team at least one week in advance
- Wi-Fi available
What will it cost?
Absolutely nothing, this is a fully funded programme with no cost to you; all we need is a dedicated space and time to deliver the Impact Day.
Company Partner Register
Could your company empower the next generation of innovators? Do you want to spot and shape NI’s talent for the future workplace?
If you would like to find out how to get involved with any elements of Generation Innovation, simply register your interest below and a member of the team will be in touch.
Steering Team
Meet the Generation Innovation Team
Judith Camblin
Programme Manager - Youth and Ambition
Judith is the programme manager for Youth and Ambition within Catalyst. She designs and delivers the Generation Innovation programme and our Inclusive Innovation Programme. Through these programmes Judith gets to inspire, equip and encourage young people across NI to gain the skills they need that will set them up for a successful future.
Judith has worked with young people in a variety of settings over the past 12 years and her passion is seeing young people thrive, grow in confidence and supporting them to make their best next step in life!
Carolyn Halferty
Programme Administrator – Generation Innovation
Carolyn Halferty joined Catalyst as the project administrator in October 2021. She is specifically responsible for maintaining and growing the Generation Innovation partnership porfolio. Carolyn’s role also involves planning and delivering events and programmes.
Carolyn worked as a senior business executive with BMW for 15 years and now loves using her love of connecting with people to connect the next generation with world leading local innovative companies.
Carolyn is passionate about helping each and every young person gain the self belief that they can pursue any goal and also help them discover what those goals may be.
Ally Armstrong
Programme Manager – Youth and Ambition
