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Young Entrepreneurs Unite to Stimulate Entrepreneurship in Apeldoorn: Wittenborg Graduate Joins In

This month, the “Centrum voor Jong Ondernemerschap” (CvJO – in English: Centre for Young Entrepreneurship) opened its doors in business park “Vision Park” in the South of Apeldoorn. Their purpose is to facilitate an affordable working environment for young entrepreneurs together with an office where students and interns can work on projects set out by the industry. Linked to this are their goals to retain, attract, and stimulate entrepreneurship in Apeldoorn.

A new CvJO
Last year, the first CvJO emerged in Doetinchem (“Achterhoek” area). Rolf Winter and Melis Jan van Heerikhuize, who took the initiative to set up the new CvJO, recognized the trend of young professionals moving away from Apeldoorn: a situation similar to that of the Achterhoek. The CvJO wants to fight this by creating a place where people can share networks, knowledge, and experience, which in turn will improve the dynamicity of business in the area.

The Centre plans to grow to about 25 registered starters by the end of 2011. Age does not play a role, neither does the industrial branch in which the entrepreneur operates; everybody who starts a new business is welcome. Motivation, however, is important: people who want to become involved with the CvJO should have the ambition to be able to provide a living for themselves with their business.

Wittenborg University graduate at work
At the moment, Wittenborg IBA graduate Perananthan Visvananth (2008-2010) is working for the CvJO office: “This really is an interesting and exciting experience for me, as it also enables me to learn even more about Dutch people and culture, and to develop myself.” Besides this, he started working as a Project Officer at Zozijn (an organization serving handicapped people) after finishing his studies at Wittenborg: “It was a fantastic experience in my life to complete my second degree (Bachelor) in International Business Administration at Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences”.