Entrepreneurship Education and the Europe 2020- How can colleges contribute?

Sannie FiskerBrussels, June 8 2010

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Agenda

Who am I? So what’s the problem? Part of the solution:

Entrepreneurship Education A framework for working with

entrepreneurship education in colleges

How can the EU help? Discussion

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Who am I?

New colleague in DG EAC unit A3 primarily working with entrepreneurship education

Seconded national expert from the Danish Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs

Have been working with entrepreneurship for nine years - first in an academic setting and later at both regional and national policy level

Was part of the team that did the EU-survey on entrepreneurship in higher education in 2008 for DG ENTR

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Europe 2020:

So what’s the problem?

Volatile economies

Rapid social change

Ageing population

Shift to service- and knowledge based

economies

Environmental problems

Diminishing natural resources

Overpopulation

Rise of emergent economies

Low growth rates

Low employment rates

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Smart, sustainable, inclusive growth- the people behind it

Ambitious entrepreneurs

Risk takers

People thinking outside the box

Leaders

InnovatorsCurious and

creative people

People who can workacross disciplines

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Are the education systems up for it?

Great and important heritage, but more adaption to the 21st century is needed

Skills for innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship is as important as literacy

But seem to educate people out of their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit

Academic versus practical inclined – all talents should be nurtured

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Part of the solution:Entrepreneurship Education

Why? Entrepreneurship and a sense of initiative refers to an individual’s ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, innovation and risk-taking as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives.2006 Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning

It is a competence for life – It is one of the key competences necessary for personal fulfilment, social inclusion, active citizenship and employability

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Learn about entrepreneurshi

p

Develop entrepreneurial

mindset

Learn the skills to be an

entrepreneur

What role does entrepreneurs play in

society?Why are

entrepreneurs needed?

What are the ethical questions facing

enterprises?What is social

entrepreneurship?Etc.

Can I become an entrepreneur?How to become

an entrepreneur?I have an idea – how do I turn it

into action?

Knowledge Attitudes Skills

I need to take

responsibility of my own learning,

career and life – how do

I manage that?

Three Objectives of Entrepreneurship Education

Adapted from Gibb (1999)

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What are we looking to achieve?

SKILLS – learn to become an entrepreneurPlan; Organise; Manage; Lead & delegate; Analyse; Communicate; Evaluate; Effective representation & negotiation; Work as an individual; Work in teams; Judge & identify one’s strengths and weaknesses; Asses and take risks; Connect ideas; Mobilise commitment; Lateral thinking

ATTITUDES – learn to become entrepreneurial

Initiative; Independence & innovation in all aspects of life; Motivation; Determination to meet objectives; Risk propensity; Ambition/drive; Persistence & commitment; Self-belief; Self-efficacy; Self-awareness; Feeling of empowerment; Social confidence; Creativity & imagination; Curiosity; Tolerance to failure

KNOWLEDGE – learn to understand entrepreneurship

On how to identify opportunitiesAbout the ‘bigger picture’ issues that provide context in which people live and workUnderstanding of the workings of the economyEthical position of enterprisesOn the processes of innovation & creativityOn the process of entrepreneurship

INTENTION

OPPORTUNITY SEARCH AND DISCOVERY

DECISION TO EXPLOIT OPPORTUNITY

EXPLOITATION OF OPPORTUNITY

PROACTIVITYActively seeking goals

INNOVATIONOpportunity searchCoping with and enjoying uncertainty

PROCESS BEHAVIOUR

CHANGETaking risky actions in uncertain environmentsFlexibly responding to challenges

ACTIONActing independently on own initiativeSolving problems/conflicts creativelyPersuading and motivating othersCommitment to making things happen

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Role of the education system

With the right support and environment, all people have the potential to develop and strengthen their entrepreneurial key competence

Schools, colleges, and universities are important parts of the social structure that fosters the personal development of young people and therefore they have the opportunity to support and promote the development of key competences including entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship education is not limited to a specific level in the education system. Every level have an important role to play from pre-school to adult training

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Recommendations from a survey on Entrepreneurship Education

2.900 Higher Education Institutions identified in 31 countries

664 HEIs responded (23%)

198 had EE above threshold

No country comparison, but benchmarking of institutions

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Institutional Framework for Entrepreneurship Education

Source: Survey of Entrepreneurship in Higher Education in Europe, 2008

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Strategy

EE is often bottom-up, but it needs a conducive environment to thrive ► support from the management is crucial

Develop policies and action plans on how the institution can actually reach its entrepreneurship objectives to make sure that it is just not a fancy word in the strategy

Communicate from top level that entrepreneurship is a broad horizontal competence for life and not only for business

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Resources

EE is often funded on a short-term project basis ► problem of sustainability and perceived importance

If possible for the institution to decide, it is important that the EE is supported by dedicated funding on a long term basis

Income generating activities can secure sustainability

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Institutional infrastructures

Working across disciplines is key! All students can take entrepreneurship courses

Students from different disciplines are brought together on a regular basis in both in-curricular and extra-curricular activities

Have facilities where students can test out ideas – e.g. an entrepreneurship centre

Appoint entrepreneurship champions in different departments

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Teaching and learning

Key motto

Tell Me I Forget, Show Me I Remember,

Involve Me I Understand!

Teaching methods– Problem-based,– student-oriented,– innovative,– edutainment– etc.

Extra-curricular activities– Company visits– Mentoring programmes– Competitions– Innovation Camps

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Outreach

Access to real-life situations and problems– Problems facing companies– Problems facing local authorities– Working together with NGOs

Foster links to the local community– Understand new skills for new jobs– Funding, collaboration

Use alumni actively– To survey what skills they are missing after graduation– To involve them in EE– Role models

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Development

The teachers are the most important component in entrepreneurship education

Therefore, it is important that the institution is supporting the teachers in terms of: – Training– Incentives– Recognition

Continuous improvement through feedback from students and their employers

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How can the European Commission help?

Open method of coordination ▼▼▼

Facilitate sharing of good practice Funding of projects

Generate new knowledge

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Sharing of good practice

Various databases– EVE– KSLLL (Knowledge System for Lifelong Learning)– SBA good practice database– ESF (European Social Fund)– National projects during the year for Innovation and Creativity– Project compendiums on the LLLP at EACEA

Reports on good practices and progress

Conferences, Reflection panels, workshops etc.

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Funding of projects

The European Commission has a number of programmes that can support projects on entrepreneurship education

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The Lifelong Learning Programme

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Erasmus

Erasmus Multilateral Projects – 4 sub actions:

• Co-operation between Universities and Enterprises • Curriculum Development • Modernisation of Higher Education

• Virtual campuses

Erasmus Network• Academic Networks: promote innovation in a specific

discipline, set of disciplines or multidisciplinary area • Structural Networks: improve and modernise a specific

aspect of higher education organisation, management, governance or funding

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Other funding programmes

Youth in Action – Youth Initiative (DG EAC)

Tempus (joint projects with partner countries – DG EAC)

European Social Funds (DG REGIO)

Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP – DG ENTR)

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Generate new knowledge

Expert groups– Entrepreneurship in Vocational Training– Entrepreneurship in Higher Education in Europe

Call for proposals under the CIP programme– Developing new teaching materials– Developing case studies– Knowledge on female entrepreneurship

Commission surveys– Mapping of Entrepreneurship in Higher Education in Europe– Mapping of university-business cooperation

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Discussion

How many of you teach entrepreneurship?– Which of the three objectives?– If not, why?

What are the greatest challenges facing you?

What would you recommend the European Commission to do to support you?

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Thank you for participating!

Feel free to contact me:

Sannie FiskerPhone: 0032 (0) 229 63 909Email: sannie.fisker@ec.europa.eu

Have a nice day!