Friday 22 November 2013

Newsletter: Final Project Products are online

In this newsletter:


1. Final ADEPTT products

2. ADEPTT mentioned in new EC publication: "Entrepreneurship Education – A Guide for Educator

3. Impact of the ADEPTT training activities

4. ADEPTT  presented at European Youth, Education and Training Forum 2013




Click on the image to see all the project results from the different partner countries

2. ADEPTT mentioned in new EC publication: "Entrepreneurship Education – A Guide for Educator


Through the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan and the Rethinking Education Communication, the European Commission has emphasised the need to embed entrepreneurial learning in all sectors of education, and the central role played by teachers. 
We would like therefore to inform you of a new document titled: "Entrepreneurship Education – A Guide for Educators". This publication aims to showcase examples of inspiring practice in training and supporting teachers in introducing entrepreneurial learning in the classroom. It is available at: 


The Guide is the result of bringing together teacher educators, teachers and experts in two practical workshops (“Laboratories”) at European level, to exchange existing practice and to discuss best ways to move forward. The ideas and examples collected during those workshops have been collated into this Guide to be shared more widely. 
We would be grateful if you could spread this information to people or organizations in your countries who may be interested in this topic. At the moment the Guide exists only in English language, but translations are under way and will be available before the end of the year. Also printed copies will be produced, which can be requested for free from the Commission. 

You can find the ADEPTT contribution on page 60.

3. Impact of the ADEPTT training activities


A total of 162 teacher participants took an active role in the ADEPTT piloting training activities and 18 trainers did coordinate the learning activities. As indirect impact we should consider not only the number of persons involved but also the activities foreseen once the funding period is over. Thus, an intensive exercise has been implemented asking partners to report on future activities. We will try to summarise them as follows:

•         SPAIN: Ongoing follow-up of teacher-led projects designed during the pilot. Courses will be run again in the autumn, slightly different with shorter sessions in 3-4days, they will have time to prototyping and test and try in the classroom, in 3-4 months. Also promoting the ADEPTT learning idea in the regions (CCAAs) implementing the Strategy for Entrepreneurship and Youth Employment 2013–2016 with learning actions for experts and trainers involved in encouraging “aspiring entrepreneurs”. 

•         WALES: In the UK the whole map of qualifications 14-18 yrs is being reviewed. In Wales they are bringing all the “entrepreneurial” skills developed in the frame of ADEPTT to this framework. (Pilot 2014-15 but the CPD will happen in between.) With the Welsh baccalaureate: Here there is an opportunity for a wider skill agenda: CPD in Wales fits into what is being done in ADEPTT. Also thinking of doing a CPD course, and a PGCE module on Entrepreneurship.(Linking it with Swansea MET and Cardiff Vale).

•         PORTUGAL: Ongoing follow up with teachers trained in the pilot action of ADEPTT. Training will be expanded to other schools in the municipality of Amadora (part of the greater Lisbon area: in cooperation the K'Cidade Program of the Aga Kahn Foundation and the city hall). A future development idea is to also use a MOOC approach in reaching a larger geographic area and have greater impact. 

•         NORWAY: They will develop a 6-day Technology and Research CPD Course University accredited and will build into a specific “entrepreneurship” module. 

•         ICELAND: They are working on a master degree: Executive education in entrepreneurial education: 90 ECTS masters structured like an MBA, 1 full year course. 

•         FLANDERS: In the coming six months presentation of 30 master classes to VET students and teachers together based on the CRLC-model. Starting to teach students in Entrepreneurial education, with delivery to thousands of students and teachers. VLAJO will be doing the training for lower secondary teacher trainers. 

•         GERMANY: Already scheduled are “training the trainer” seminars all over Germany. Also the idea will be to embed what is being done in other training as enrichment.
Would you like to know more? contact us! 


4. ADEPTT workshop at the Youth, Education and Training Forum 2013


VALNALON, the project lead partner, took part in the European Education, Training and Youth Forum 2013 held in Brussels last month (17-18th October). ADEPTT was featured in the workshop on Transversal Skills and Employability moderated by Elin McCallum (DG EAC). Four inspire zones were set up in order to discover how partnership working can create successful projects, in 4 areas of transversal skills (language, digital skills, entrepreneurial skills) and graduate employability.  

Each of these areas were discussed in an specific inspire zone. ADEPTT was chosen to illustrate the inspire zone on entrepreneurial skills.  The use of small group approach  and speed-networking methodologies (3 rounds of 20 minutes each)  enabled a high degree of interaction. Participants were taken on a quick tour of the pilots (10 training courses in 8 countries) so as to make them familiar with the training model. 

Leaflets, hand-outs of course material and real examples of teacher-developed projects were shared. In the course of the conversation that ensued participants shared their own experiences and discussed to what extent ADEPTT teacher training approach could be applied in their respective countries. Workshop participants highlighted the modularity and flexibility as key aspects of ADEPTT teacher training. 




Monday 7 October 2013

Teachers are no superheroes (for world teacher day)


Pedro De Bruyckere (1974) is a Belgian educational scientist at Arteveldehogeschool, Ghent (Belgium) (www.arteveldehs.be) since 2001. He co-wrote 2 books with Bert Smits in which they debunk popular myths on GenY and GenZ, education and pop culture. Pedro is an often asked public speaker, one of his strongest points is that he is funny in explaining serious stuff.

Pedro was asked to write something for World Teacher Day, find below his view on teaching
 more here


Teachers are no superheroes

They won’t save the world.

But they will save their children in case of emergency.

They are authors who write new works every single day.

They are directors of their own plays.

They are actors who will interact with their audience every time the class begins.

They need to be child prodigies in administration, keeping track of their own and their pupils evolution.

They are no parents.

But they will support their pupils.

They are no Google, they don’t know everything.

But they sure look better than a search engine,

and their suggestions will beat any search engine anytime.

They make you think.

They are no tablet, but were born in 3D.

They inspire to aspire.

They are forever young, because being young is contagious.

They make a difference, as Taylor Mali shouted.

They’re needed, more than ever as the OECD argues.

They make our children learn, smile and they console.

They are the ones who help discover the miracle of a first sentence being read.

They are the one who pick up the children in their world to open up the universe.


Teachers are no superheroes, they are always there for their pupils.

They won’t save the world.

They help to build the world, day by day.


Taylor Mali




Thursday 26 September 2013

Forum 2013 – Working together for reforms – 17-18 October

ADEPTT will be presented at the European Education Training and Youth Forum 2013 (Brussels, 17-18th october) 
The Education, Training and Youth Forum aims to gather various stakeholders once per year in order to discuss key policy developments linked to the Europe 2020 strategy, the strategic framework for European cooperation in Education and Training (ET2020) and the European Youth strategy. The 2013 Forum will be an opportunity to involve a broad range of stakeholders in discussing the new opportunities offered by Erasmus+, the new funding programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport for 2014-2020 to support partnerships for reforms in the fields of education, training and youth.

ADEPTT mentioned in new EC publication: "Entrepreneurship Education – A Guide for Educators"!

Through the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan and the Rethinking Education Communication, the European Commission has emphasised the need to embed entrepreneurial learning in all sectors of education, and the central role played by teachers.
We would like therefore to inform you of a new document titled: "Entrepreneurship Education – A Guide for Educators". This publication aims to showcase examples of inspiring practice in training and supporting teachers in introducing entrepreneurial learning in the classroom. It is available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/promoting-entrepreneurship/files/education/entredu-manual-fv_en.pdf

The Guide is the result of bringing together teacher educators, teachers and experts in two practical workshops (“Laboratories”) at European level, to exchange existing practice and to discuss best ways to move forward. The ideas and examples collected during those workshops have been collated into this Guide to be shared more widely.
We would be grateful if you could spread this information to people or organizations in your countries who may be interested in this topic. At the moment the Guide exists only in English language, but translations are under way and will be available before the end of the year. Also printed copies will be produced, which can be requested for free from the Commission.

You can find the ADEPTT contribution on page 60.

ADEPTT Project Meeting 24 September 2013: FINAL AGENDA

ADEPTT Project Meeting 24 September 2013
FINAL AGENDA

Sustainability of ADEPTT & Reinvigoration of SEET Network

Hosts: Platform for Entrepreneurship Education in Portugal (PEEP)
Aga Kahn Foundation (Portugal)
Location: Centro Ismaili - Fundação Aga Khan: Avenida dos Lusíadas 1, 1600 Lisbon

Tuesday 24th September 2013

Topic
Team Leader(s)
9.30 – 10.00
Welcome to Portugal
Introduction to Aga Kahn Foundation
Short update on ADEPTT

PEEP; 
Aga Kahn Foundation;
Valnalon
10.00 – 11.30
Mainstreaming and Sustainability:
·         What are our conclusions from the ADEPTT experience?
-          (in terms of products AND process)
·         Conference Call with Elin McCallum, European Commission
·         Conclusions: How can this be applied going forward?
·         The Portuguese Proposal: Helping Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Schools and VET in partnership K’Cidade/AKF/PEEP via ADEPTT
·         Other future plans for ADEPTT material

Valnalon;
PEEP
Coffee break
12.00 – 13.00
New Project Ideas: brainstorm - project and partnership ideas for upcoming EU calls including Horizon 2020 and Erasmus for All
·         Ways to further utilize work from ADEPTT Project
·         Ways to further develop SEET Network
·         Building links with other networks (e.g. JA)

SYNTRA Flanders
Lunch – (Self pay & pre-register: Cod fish to be served)
14.00 – 15.30
Project Development Workshops (minimum 2), based upon the outcomes of the brainstorm sessions

According to expertise and interest
Coffee break
16.00– 17.30
Project Development Workshops conclusions, overall working plan (and work division) and agreements

SYNTRA Flanders + Scienter
20.00 – Innovation in Food – 20-minute Discussion by Master Chief Nuno Barros & Dinner @ 1300 Taberna in the Lx Factory - Rua Rodrigues Faria, Lisboa see: www.1300taberna.com


Participants: 16
Profile: ADEPTT partners (PEEP, DKJS, Valnalon, Cardiff & Vale College, Swansea Met, SYNTRA) + representatives from different universities (Turkey, Norway), Portuguese Ministry of Education and Aga Khan Foundation + Elin McCallum (DG Education) (she did a keynote speech at the beggining endorsing ADEPTT and explained what's new in the EE Agenda)


Tuesday 24 September 2013

ADEPTT influence in a masters course on Education, innovation and employment at the University of Iceland, School of Education



A 10 ECT course on Education, innovation and employment, started with two intensive days on the 19th and 20th of September with 20 eager and interested masters students in education. Two more intensive days are planned in October and a final day in November. This course is a part of a line of study in Leaders, innovation and administration, but is also open for students from other study lines. The course is designed and taught by Svanborg R Jónsdóttir and Ásta Sölvadóttir. The content, exercises and general approach are heavily influenced by the CRCL model from the ADEPTT project.

Picture 1. one of the inputs was a "book-buffet" a collection of books about creativity and innovation and entrepreneurial education - 
Picture 2. Students give the "future Icelander" feasible skills and qualities
Picture 3. Exercising creativity


Picture 1. one of the inputs was a "book-buffet" a collection of books about creativity and innovation and entrepreneurial education



Picture 2. Students give the "future Icelander" feasible skills and qualities



Picture 3. Exercising creativity







Svanborg R. Jónsdóttir Ph.D.
Lektor Menntavísindasviði Háskóla Íslands
Lecturer School of Education,  University of Iceland
Sími/Tel (Europe 00354+) 525 5580
gsm/cell  (Europe 00354+) 898 1566 heima/home: 486 6018 svanjons@hi.is






Friday 13 September 2013

The Effect of Early Entrepreneurship Education. Evidence from a Randomized Field Experiment

By Laura Rosendahl Huber, Randolph Sloof and Mirjam Van Praag

"The aim of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of early entrepreneurship education. To this end, we conduct a randomized field experiment to evaluate a leading entrepreneurship education program that is taught worldwide in the final grade of primary school. We focus on pupils’ development of relevant skill sets for entrepreneurial activity, both cognitive and noncognitive. The results indicate that cognitive entrepreneurial skills are unaffected by the program. However, the program has a robust positive effect on non-cognitive entrepreneurial skills. 

This is surprising since previous evaluations found zero or negative effects. Because 
these earlier studies all pertain to education for adolescents, our result tentatively suggests 
that non-cognitive entrepreneurial skills are best developed at an early age."
Full article here: http://ftp.iza.org/dp6512.pdf

Monday 9 September 2013

Cardiff and Vale College ADEPTT Pilot




The ADEPPT pilot at Cardiff and Vale College was a brilliant start to a challenging mind set change throughout the college. It is a recently merged college that is still struggling to find its own identity and develop a culture. As youth entrepreneurship is high on the agenda of Welsh government this pilot seemed ideal to start spreading the seed of entrepreneurial learning.

Natalie Elward: "We opened the pilot up to all staff members with the thought that as long as they had an interest they would help champion entrepreneurship throughout the college. We had a mix of interested parties from business lecturers to community engagement managers. All we asked is that they bring a pen and an open mind! We structured the sessions over 3 weeks with the last week being the focus group. It was important to keep the sessions active and not be too strict with the timings, so we could allow time for creativity. The participants commented that they appreciated this as this provoked relevant discussion points.

On the second day we were lucky to have an entrepreneur join us to deliver some of the session. Ben Room held activities with the participants that he used with students. They were a lot of fun and really had them thinking. We frequently assessed their understanding and invited both positive and negative feedback to ensure the participants were getting the most from the sessions.

During the last part of the session we invited the participants to plan a lesson or information session using what they had learnt during the training. The outcome was exactly as hoped and if they use this knowledge within the college we have a great chance to help develop a culture that both staff and learners will enjoy and thrive in.

We are in the process of planning CPD sessions with staff members, with the aim to train as many CAVC staff as possible. ADEPTT has brought excitement to learning from both staff and learners as we develop a new way of planning the futures of our learners."




Tuesday 3 September 2013

The O3-magnifying glass


O3loep striptekening Sherlock Holmes
Do you wonder about how entrepreneurial (or not) the current projects and activities at your school or in the training centre are? Do you have the time and would you be interested in organising other initiatives? Would you like to promote ‘entrepreneurial spirit within your school or training centre?
With the O3-magnifying glass you can ’get two for the price of one’: through organising interesting diverse projects, whilst at the same time stimulating entrepreneurial spirit in young people and adults. This way the pressures of organising projects and activities may be kept to a minimum.
One way of looking at whether projects and activities are entrepreneurial - and to look at how you could make changes and improvements - is to use the  O3-magnifying glass. This is a tool that looks at entrepreneurship within education and training.
Take the O3-Magnifting Glass Test, and discover whether your projects and activities stimulate and support entrepreneurial spirit. This might be a school play, an environmental project, the annual sports day, a fundraising day for charity, or any other project or activity, which on the face of it does not obviously have a link with entrepreneurship.
Completing the O3-Magnifting Glass takes about ten minutes. The Test results will give you suggestions about how to stimulate the people you are targeting with your project, without losing the focus or the content of the initiative.
Beware! This test measures separate initiatives and individual projects; it is not intended to give a total picture of how entrepreneurial your school or training organisation is overall.
The O3 Test builds on the outcomes from the STEP-Project, in which the ‘profile of entrepreneurial spirit’ was developed.

The O3-Magnifying Glass has been created with support from the European Social Fund.

Monday 26 August 2013

German ADEPTT Pilot : “I really feel encouraged for changing my teaching style. This is so necessary.”

“I really feel encouraged for changing my teaching style. This is so necessary.”
A teacher after the ADEPTT pilot in Germany



“How to enhance self-initiative and learning motivation of your students” was the title of the ADEPTT pilot seminar in Germany. For several reasons: As a counseling partner of schools, the German Children and Youth Foundation (DKJS) knows: This is a question which bothers many teachers in this country – in all school types, but especially in lower secondary public schools. Students often do not see why they should engage for learning about subjects they often are not interested in. How can teachers motivate their students? We believe that entrepreneurial teaching is the way students can become owners of their own learning process.

Teachers of all school types and all specialisations were addressed in the announcement of the course. So the scope of participant teachers was very diverse. They were teaching at primary, lower and upper secondary, but also VET schools. Their specialisations varied from natural sciences (maths, physics, etc.), to languages, social sciences (history, ethics, geography) and economics. Only 3 out of 9 teachers had any experiences in Entrepreneurship Education (e.g. supporting a mini company at school). 


Learning outcomes and remarks of the participants show that the course concept has been as more successful, as the participants have not been experienced in any kind of Entrepreneurship tutoring. The participant teachers reflected that the ADEPTT course showed them how to change their teaching attitude: How to allow and enable students to develop self-initiative and creativity. And, as one of the teachers said, by developing an own project, ADEPTT pushed the teachers to be initiative and creative themselves.


Some of the comments after the course :


  • “CPD courses should always be with diverse participants: I learnt so much in our exchange between teachers of different school types.” 
  • “Thank you for the opportunity to learn new methods I really can use in my teaching.”
  • “I’ve never experienced a CPD-course like this: I had the opportunity to realise at once what I had heard in theory. Thank you!”
  • “What was really amazing: the exchange of feedback and ideas between us and the motivation of all participants.”
  • “First of all our own self-initiative and motivation was fostered!”


Thursday 8 August 2013

The Norwegian Pilot

The Norwegian pilot targeted teachers (upper-secondary) in Technology & Research from all over the country. We decided to invite teachers to a course in creativity, rather than in entrepreneurship. The reason is that entrepreneurship has a poor reputation among some Norwegian teachers, in particular among science teachers.

In some upper-secondary schools groups of teachers work with entrepreneurship-related initiatives, like gründer camps and student enterprises/business. The problem is, in most cases, that those groups of teachers work more or less on their own and quite isolated. At many schools, there seems to be little collaboration and exchange between those who are involved in entrepreneurship education and those who are not. There seems to be a boundary between groups of teachers at the same school. We wanted to challenge that.

There is a potential when it comes to science teachers: science teachers are easily engaged in inquiry-based approaches, and such approaches are closely related to entrepreneurial approaches. In particular, when taking the entrepreneurial pedagogical perspective, there seem to be many connections. We have started a project, together with the National Resource Centre for Science in Education, where we wish to explore how to connect modern science teaching practices and entrepreneurial approaches to teaching.  We decided, first of all, to pilot this idea with teachers in Technology and Research, because this school science subject in its self is the closest you can come entrepreneurship.  If this shows to be successful, we will broaden our work to other science teachers.

Our intention with the course we designed for this purpose was to introduce the teachers to creativity as being the core concept when trying to explore the connections between science teaching and entrepreneurial approaches in general. Creativity, thus, was our focus during the course. In a plenary session on the last day, in a dialogue with the participants, we summarized the ideas about creativity and teaching put forward by the participants. The summary resulted in a model, drawn on the black board,  in which all elements of the CRCL-model were present. In fact, the participants had, themselves, constructed their own CRCL model. That gave us a opportunity to explicitly link creativity to innovation and entrepreneurship.  Looking back, we think that we made a good decision. The teachers were easily engaged in discussions about creativity, and to us that seemed to form a solid base for thinking and reflecting on their own teaching practice. For many this may lead to further thinking, more explicit towards entrepreneurial teaching. 

Wednesday 7 August 2013

Iceland: Master Tradesmen story

Date: January 2013
Number of participants: 24
Venue: University Of Iceland

In Iceland there were two pilots for the course. One was with 24 master tradesmen studying for a teaching certificate at the University of Iceland. This was a p
art of a larger course (5ECT) called The connection between school and world of work. This group got two lessons (2x40 min) on 17th January, and Moodle collaboration on reading and discussion work for four weeks and on 23.rd February four lessons and finally students presented their ideas on 26.March. Svanborg R Jónsdóttir and Rósa Gunnarsdóttir taught the course.


Master tradesmen learning to be teachers listen to Rosa´s input about Solar-Demi and his Hand Made Solar Plastic Bottle Light Bulb

The emancipatory pedagogy identified in Icelandic research as the core of entrepreneurship education was applied in this course, focusing on enhancing participant creativity and action competence through the innovation process (design approach). Participants were encouraged to find and analyse problems and seek opportunities based on their own interests and experience, supported idea generation and development and encouraged actions with presenting their ideas.  The CRCL model influenced the content and approach of the course and the Business Model Canvas was used.

Only a minority of the group had already students to teach so they were not able to try out the ideas introduced. The evaluation of the course showed that it had given them considerable understanding of EE and some confidence in supporting entrepreneurial attributes in their students. Most of the students in the group mentioned that they needed more contact hours with teachers and only a couple of them had the opportunity to try out their entrepreneurial learning in practice.
The main output of the course was a development of an innovation or a new educational approach or course and introducing it within the frame of the Buisness Model Canvas. Some examples of the ideas the students developed were:

1.      Transferable puppet show – information and entertainment, handling issues related with divorce of parents, sensitive issues and explanations. A talk between a child and a wise Owl answering the most common questions children have about their parents divorce. Need: 20% of children in Iceland age 9-12 have divorced parents, step- or foster parents.

2.      The Guesthose Loner – a gesthouse in the community Skagaströnd.- a restoration of a big old house near the seaside. In the municipality Skagströnd there is no guesthouse or a hotel just some services for travellers such as a coffee house and a Arts and crafts workshop-store.

3.      Houshold goods and food in subscription. A website – ordered online, delivered to the door.

4.      Orthodontist educational model: A course and teaching materials to get students in fourth year of Orthodontist studies to learn the hidden and virtual curriculum of the rules of conduct and handling of tools and cleanliness – and on communication with patients using the emancipatory pedagogy of IEE.

5.      Supervision and organization of the operation and maintenance of cars and machinery of  the Icelandic Coast Guard: A web-based interactive registration of all vehicles and machines of the ICG where staff registers incidents, use and location of those and the condition and location of each can be quickly checked and responded to as needed.

6.      Key-less three point lock for the front door. A lock that allows you to enter your front door without using a key – is secure and locks the door properly.

7.      The rights and obligations of master tradesmen towards apprentices. A short course for MT taking apprentices.

8.      Látrabjarg and the auk – sales cart. A sustainable added value. sLátrabjarg is the largest cliff bird colony in Europe attracting thousands of guests every year – no services on location. A cart with salesproducts related to the cliff and eggs of auks, maps, stories of the farming and information of the birds –  cart removed in the autumn.

9.      Special course on location for apprentices in cooking, restaurant waiters to become restaurant managers.

10.  A special vaccuum blackhead cleaner – a development of an older invention.

11.  Make the Wolf hours pleasant: a course for parents to understand the challenges that make the Wolf hours (evaryone irritated and hungry in the afternoon after school – before dinner) – and how to deal with it constructively

12.  The steeringwheel heater. An improved heater for the stearing wheel – ice cold in the winter, remote controlled.

13.  Reflect-sense. An internetbased service providing special ordered reflectors to put on your outer clothing when walking, jogging or cycling in the dark. The use of reflectors stop more or less with adolecence. The service is meant to appeal to young people and grownups with supplying popular looks of reflectors. These might be sports igns, fashionsigns, carsigns, tribal signs and other.

14.  Streamlining buisiness capacity – application. This is an application for ipads and smartphones to order stocks for industry service firms (builders, elctritians, plumbers ect) – directly linked to the bookkeeping of the firm and supplier. It would be designed in collaboration with suppliers and industrial companies and adjusted to their needs. This would save valuable time of emploees that can see which companies have which items available and could put in an order instantly.

15.  Elf-World in Northern Iceland. A centre for elf- knowledge and recreation. The creation of a kind of an adventure world built on Icelandic heritage on elfs, and other exotic creatures that exist in Iceland, with sculptures, visuals and versatile forms of information in Icelandic and English.

16.  Less mess with baking: Mixer with built in scales. You can weigh the ingredients as you put them in the mixer bowl.

17.  Substitute: Child care – babysitting. A qualified service for different child care/babysitting needs, longer time or shorter. Older children and youngsters. Available 24 hours.

18.  Designing E-books: a course in AdobeIndesign. Teaching materials for graphic designers to design e-books with AdobeIndesign.

19.  Any time day or night order app for hotels and restaurants. Application for ipads or smartphones. Wholesales with products for hotels and restaurants make list of their available products and the users can buy the app or access to it and with it can see exactly what is available. The order is registered immediately and the order is processed the following morning.

20.  Beauty parlor to your home. The services of beauty parlors brought home to clients.

21.  Caring: The Cuddly Beauty Parlor Sheet. A specially designed sheet to wrap beauty parlor customers in, formed to make a kind of a bag and with easy closings (french zipper).


Wednesday 31 July 2013

The Dutch Adeptt Pilot


Date: 30th of May
Number of participants: 7
Venue: Albeda College Rotterdam

The Dutch Pilot course was organized with participants from different schools; secondary and vocational schools. The teachers wanted to learn and to practice entrepreneurial behavior. During the course they went from finding their talents, passion and dreams to the more practical side using the 5 steps of Effectuation. They all had to show the whole course that they had a story to tell. Pitching is very important to create self-confidence,creativity, innovation and motivation.
The theme for the whole course was “ You can’t predict the future but you
can create your future”. Below you can find some pictures from the worksheets we used this
course.




Thursday 25 July 2013

Disrupt Inc.: How young people are challenging the conventions of entrepreneurship


Despite the flurry of media commentary surrounding young enterprise, very little is actually known about how young people become entrepreneurs. As part of their Inspiring Enterprise partnership, the RSA and RBS sought to plug this gap by listening to and analysing the stories told by young people about their entrepreneurial journeys: from the emergence of their business idea, to the inception of their business, to where they are today.

Disrupt Inc. (PDF 1.2MB), reveals that the way in which some young people now start and run businesses is radically different to widely held assumptions. While some young people will live up to the conscious, meticulous and lone stereotypes that are so synonymous with entrepreneurship, many others will not. Rather, they will stumble into a business ‘accidentally’, start up on a shoestring budget and with an imperfect product, and rely on a whole host of other people to get them to where they want to be.

The report concludes that young enterprise support may be geared too heavily towards supporting one ‘journey’ of entrepreneurship at the expense of less conventional, but increasingly popular, routes to start-up. The level of debate around the availability of finance, for example, overlooks the large numbers of young people who are keen to bootstrap their way through the initial stages of their business. Similarly, the effort spent in establishing formal mentorship schemes belie the preference that many young people have for more informal support from personal contacts.

The report recommends a number of steps that government, support organisations and the corporate industry could take to rebalance support and help more young people become successful entrepreneurs. These include: 

Launching a myth-busting marketing campaign to challenge assumptions and change the culture surrounding enterprise.
Encouraging greater numbers of young people to access enterprise support by promoting a more inclusive definition of ‘entrepreneurialism’ that encompasses a broader range of activities and behaviours.
Establishing micro-loans that enable young people to build prototypes and test the viability of their business idea with real customers in the market.
Reengineering enterprise support services to cater for the lean, bootstrapping style of entrepreneurship increasingly witnessed among young people.
Stoking the demand for the products and services of young entrepreneurs by altering procurement exercises and connecting them with new clients.
Supporting co-founding initiatives that enable young people to link up with supportive business partners.
Encouraging well-established businesses to incubate young entrepreneurs and open up access to their expertise and connections.