Centre entrepreneurial étudiant

Are young people leaving certain areas because they really want to? Not according to a group of students in business administration at the Université du Québec à Rimouski who firmly believe that the exodus of young people could be curbed if local companies were more aware of the potential of the new guard. It was with a desire to reverse this trend that the students set up the Centre entrepreneurial étudiant (CEE). They reckon that “If you are not there, nothing is likely to happen!”

The CEE is a genuine testing ground where close to forty members, all business management students at UQAR, can put into practice the knowledge acquired during their studies by offering their services to meet the targeted needs of the Rimouski area’s business community. “We seek above all to provide companies with a more contemporary vision of the interest young people have in their region. Too many local businesses still believe that the lack of new blood in companies is due to the fact that young people want to leave the area. We therefore have to accept that companies will not approach us, which is why we must help establish ties between us and them,” business administration student and President of CEE Cathy Gasse explained with enthusiasm.

The CEE is the tangible result of a forum organized by the students and attended by company decision-makers, organizations and local politicians, and has amply shown its merit by obtaining numerous contracts since its creation in 2006. The student members of CEE have promoted sporting events, provided accounting and logistics services for a colloquium, produced a promotional video for the Québec Entrepreneurship Contest, carried out market research for a development corporation and even developed an evaluation tool for future entrepreneurs.

“The Centre offers local companies the services of students currently undergoing training who, under the supervision of sponsors, are able to provide innovative solutions and thus contribute to the growth of the companies. Each problem is analyzed and handled with professionalism by a team from the CEE. The project carried out by this group of students is without doubt complex and worthy of our admiration,” associate provost at UQAR Jean Ferron pointed out with pride.

Touching on such fields as accounting, marketing, human resource management and taxation, the extensive experience acquired by the aspiring professionals at the CEE has above all enabled them to showcase their talent, extend their business network and, more importantly, arouse the interest of local companies in these future employees.

Because of its innovativeness and its concrete achievements, the Centre has already succeeded in convincing the region of its relevance and effectiveness,” asserts Stéphane Doiron, senior director of certification and advisory services at Deloitte.

Following its initial success, the CEE intends to continue on its course of action and increase its affiliations. Indeed, the student managers of the organization plan to expand by offering their services in other university disciplines such as education and engineering.

Centre entrepreneurial étudiant