Developing entrepreneurship skills through student businesses: International lessons 9 July 2012 Joe Shamash
About CSD • Our Vision • A world in which everyone has access to the skills needed for social and economic prosperity. • Our Mission • To influence and improve skills policy and practice worldwide through an evidence based approach.
Introduction • Entrepreneurship skills • Case study 1: Junior Achievement South Africa • Case study 2: Teach a Man to Fish • Lessons for international practice • Discussion • Further reading
Entrepreneurship skills • What are entrepreneurship skills? • Do you have them? • Are they innate, learnt, or a bit of both?
Entrepreneurship skills
Entrepreneurship skills • Entrepreneurship - a basket of skills, knowledge and attitudes • Business skills, technical skills, soft skills • Taught as theory or learned through practice?
Teaching entrepreneurship • Why teach entrepreneurship? • To build awareness of business and the workplace • To help equip future entrepreneurs • To develop the skills within the entrepreneurship basket • To establish a strong education and training business • Teaching theory – the traditional approach • Combining theory and practice - new approaches
Case study:Junior Achievement South Africa (JASA) Entrepreneurship Academy • Aimed at students aged 16 and above • Extracurricular programme, three hours per week • Emphasis on working with local communities • Mix of theory and practice • Student mini enterprises • Focus on inspiration and awareness raising
Case study:JASA Entrepreneurship Academy CSD evaluation found: • Increased community and student engagement in entrepreneurship • Better understanding of work and business • Improved entrepreneurial abilities and employability Highlighted importance of: • Recognition of achievement • Work experience/ business visits • Greater support for facilitators • Managing dropouts • Sustainable financing for mini-enterprises
Case study: Teach a Man to Fish • Self sufficient schools • Rural, lower income settings • ‘Learning by Doing and Earning’ • School based businesses, run by teachers and students • Combine entrepreneurship and vocational education to build income and skills
Other examples UK colleges – product development and student contracting • College support services (cleaning and maintenance, catering, IT) part or whole contracted out to students • Innovation labs - partnerships with local businesses, students test and modify products
Common themes • Raising awareness of the labour market • Developing entrepreneurship knowledge, skills and attitudes • Developing transferable skills for employment and self-employment • Ensuring focus and flexibility • Raising aspirations, and ensuring realistic expectations
Common challenges • Adapting to student contexts • Managing expectations • Tolerating risk • Striking a balance between business and learning • Institutional barriers • Measuring success
Some key practices within successful entrepreneurship education programmes • Robust, transparent systems for financial management • ‘Opt in’ for students • Use of local aspirational figures • Guided small scale enterprise • Continued support and links after programme • Extensive preparation and support for facilitators/trainers • Student evaluation of businesses.
Any questions? Email: joe.shamash@skillsdevelopment.org Web: http://www.skillsdevelopment.org Twitter: @skillsdev
Further reading JASA Entrepreneurship Academy • http://www.jasa.org.za/site/programmes/current-programmes.html • Collett, K. & C. Gale (2012)Trading Up? An evaluation of JASA’s Entrepreneurship Academy Programme, London, City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development. Teach a Man to Fish and the self-sufficent school model • http://www.teachamantofish.org.uk • Kafka, N. & J. Stephenson (2006) ‘Self-Sufficient Schools: Fostering Entrepreneurship to Finance Sustainable Education’ Presentation to the APEID Conference ‘Learning Together for Tomorrow: Education for Sustainable Development’, Bangkok. UK College approaches to entrepreneurship • Warburton, T. (2010) ‘Open for business: can colleges become sites for entrepreneurship?’ in Dolphin, T. & J. Clifton (ed.) Colleges 2020 , London, IPPR.
