ICE is increasingly working with schools and universities internationally, promoting and developing enterprise awareness and capability using our tried and tested 3-pronged methodology for teaching entrepreneurship which gets great results (more on that later in this post). Our programmes are now in high demand in response to the increasing focus on entrepreneurship and ‘enterprise’ within the education sector, so I’d like to explore where that’s come from and what it means in the context of enterprising educators.
The shift towards enterprise in the education sector is particularly crucial for Universities, where both policy and funding guidelines now encourage institutions to support and embed enterprise throughout all of their activities. Key references of note include the report ‘Higher Ambitions. The Future of Unversities in a Knowledge Economy’, November 2009
The recession has brightened the spotlight even further on the importance of enterprise within the broader student experience, on graduate employability and on talent development. Many graduates have found themselves unemployed, and others have either had their contracts put on hold or been offered part-time roles and lower salaries.
According to Professor Allan Gibb OBE , as captured in the 2009 National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) publication ‘Towards the Entrepreneurial University: entrepreneurship education as a lever for change’ , the latest graduate employment data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) shows that the proportion of graduates who are assumed to be unemployed six months after they left university rose to 9.3% in 2008-09.
It is no longer seen as enough for universities to develop employable graduates with the skills that businesses need. They also need to develop more enterprising attitudes, be more adaptable and creative to help the organisations they join to transform to be able to continue to compete in today’s competitive global marketplace.
Meeting these global challenges requires an entrepreneurial response by universities. They need to prepare graduates for future global challenges as well as fully engaging in the co-creation of new knowledge with businesses. Read more on this here CIHE Absorbing Research. The role of university research in business and market innovation.
The great news is that progress is now being made. In recent times UK universities have supported 2,000 graduates to set up new businesses; they have created over 200 companies based on university intellectual property. Both consultancy income and the number of patents granted to universities have increased significantly over recent years. The results of an analysis of The Sunday Times ‘Top 100’ listings for Fast Growth (Fast Track) and Technology Companies (Tech Track) commissioned by NCGE provides clear evidence of the contributions that graduates are making to our most innovative and dynamic young UK companies:
“University graduates founded/managed 70 per cent of all fast growth companies and 84 per cent of the top technology companies. These companies had grown their total sales revenues from £950 million to £4.3 billion in the 3 years to 2006/07 with an average annual sales growth rate of 111 per cent and employing some 38,000 people.”
Read the full report here
We now need to keep this momentum going and ICE is keen to support ongoing efforts. ICE works with school and universities internationally promoting and developing enterprise awareness and capability, supporting this critical area of knowledge and skills development for both students and staff. We’re proud of our links with business, grounding our teaching on real-life business experience, and we work with a wide range of specialist associates to deliver our extensive portfolio of activities. See our case studies for some examples.
ICE uses a powerful 3 pronged methodology in its approach to teaching enterprise.
1 First we teach about enterprise. Understanding the nature and role of entrepreneurs and businesses in our economies and societies provides an excellent grounding for moving onto the next phase
2 Second we teach for enterprise. This element equips people to explore the option of starting and running their own business.
3 Finally we teach through enterprise. By using active based teaching methods we take personalised approaches, relevant to the pupils and staff involved, empowering and equipping both parties to create their own future.
Our teaching can be applied to any subject at any level of study, or we can teach outside of the curriculum focusing purely on enterprise and entrepreneurship. We work with our customers to determine the highest impact and most realistic method that will work for them.
Enterprising educators lead to enterprising graduates whose impact on the global economy can be fast-tracked, maximising their contribution to business, as well as their own personal achievements. The results will be good for the economy, and great for universities that can lead more than simply respond.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles FreeDigitalPhotos.net
