JFDI.Asia and Glints launch the JFDI Fellowship to offer young people hands-on entrepreneurial education.
9 December 2014, Singapore – The Joyful Frog Digital Incubator (JFD), Asia’s #1 startup accelerator, and Glints, a career-discovery and development platform connecting companies with young talent, today announce the launch of the JFDI Fellowship to offer young people hands-on entrepreneurship experience. The JFDI Fellowship combines experiential learning about disciplined startup methods from JFDI’s Discover program with an internship in a real startup, facilitated by JFDI alumnus Glints.
Young people joining the JFDI Fellowship program will learn both the theory and the practice of entrepreneurship in a rapid experience. The first step is theJFDI Discover program, which they can begin anywhere in the world, even alongside their study overseas, before they spend time in an active role with a real startup company in Singapore. Following which, the Fellows will engage in a 3 month internship with one of the JFDI startups.
Looi Qin En, co-founder of Glints, said: “As young people ourselves, with no startup experience at first, we found the combination of JFDI’s curriculum and community very effective in getting us up to speed. Our ambition now is that the Fellowship shares the same benefits with many more young people. Some JFDI Fellows will no doubt confirm their desire to start a business while others may find that startup life is not for them at this time. Either way it’s a good outcome.”
Specific tools and techniques that JFDI Fellows will learn include Lean Innovation and Objectives and Key results. JFDI Fellows will be able to demonstrate their proficiency in these skills through certificates and skill badges on their Glints profiles and resumes, helping them to stand out from peers who have only a university degree.
Hugh Mason, CEO of JFDI.Asia, said: “Employers tell us that entrepreneurial skills and insights will be useful in any career. Skills badges are not just a recognition of the student’s proficiency, but also an effective way for future employers to shortlist candidates who can bring something more than a standard education to the workforce.”
The second part of the program is an internship. Upon successfully completing the JFDI Discover program, potential Fellows will be interviewed by JFDI’s portfolio of innovative startups. Selected candidates will then be offered an internship opportunity at the startup with job scopes that range from marketing, product management, engineering and design. This experience allows Fellows to understand the inner workings of a startup and prepares them for the challenges and skills required to build a successful company.
Startups on board the program are ready to hire through the Fellowship’s targeted pool of pre-qualified talents. Each applicant will undergo a rigorous evaluation before gaining access to the internships and job opportunities. The Fellowship is only awarded upon the offer of an internship opportunity by the startup.
Other startups keen to hire Fellows through the JFDI Fellowship should have a connection to the JFDI community. “We are keen to work together with startups from the JFDI accelerator program, alumni, mentors and investors, and deliver an exceptional customized hiring process that is efficient for the founders, so that they can focus on what’s most important,” said Qin En.
The Fellowship begins accepting applications today at http://fellows.jfdi.asia with the first program starting January 2015. It is targeted at tertiary students in Singapore, but is also open to overseas students who are keen to learn more about Asia’s entrepreneurship ecosystem firsthand.
JFDI and Glints
The Joyful Frog Digital Incubator is Asia’s #1 Startup Accelerator, where a community of passionate founders, mentors and investors gather to build innovative businesses for Asia. The average JFDI graduate startup raises over US$500K in funding. For more information, visit www.creativeweblogic.com/demo/jfdi2
Glints is a career discovery and development platform for youths. With over 400+ employers and 6000+ youths, Glints is on a mission to disrupt higher education through a real-world education, and empowering employers to hire youths more effectively. For more information, visit www.glints.com