School for Social Entrepreneurs opens in Melbourne

The School for Social Entrepreneurs continues its worldwide expansion with a second Australian school, this time based in Melbourne.

The new school is currently recruiting students and will launch in March 2010. There are plans to run one 12-month programme with a cohort of 20 students in 2010 and two programmes each year from 2011.

CEO of the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) Australia Benny Callaghan said: 'We were receiving student applications for Melbourne before we even opened and launched recruitment. For us the challenge may well be in keeping up with demand. We also have interest from other cities around Australia already, including Adelaide and Brisbane.'

Callaghan said the 'speed and strength' at which SSE has been taken up in Australia, with the Sydney branch opening only last year, was testament to the UK programme and the franchise model SSE UK had developed. The organisation has been able to scale up quickly thanks to support from organisations interested in social innovation and social entrepreneurship.

SSE UK CEO Alastair Wilson said: 'We are delighted with the rapid growth of the SSE in Australia which is due to the hard work of the excellent team, and the great support for the founding partners.

'I've been very impressed with the social entrepreneurs in the programme in Sydney, and look forward to hearing of the progress of the Melbourne students in due course.'

The Melbourne school is currently running under the banner of SSE Australia but will eventually become a franchise in its own right.

Callaghan said: 'We like the franchise model as it allows for community ownership.'

Policy and communications officer at SSE UK Nick Temple said there were many advantages to the franchise model including the recognised brand, central support on programme design and policy, avoiding duplication and learning between franchises.

'All of which makes for quicker, more fit for purpose and more sustainable replication of the model,' said Temple.

There are currently 11 SSE regional schools, in the UK, Ireland and Australia. A feasibility study is also underway for a school in Canada.