Graduate entrepreneurship education in the United Kingdom

Beasley

2011

Education + Training

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Structured AbstractPurpose This paper investigates the factors that influenced seven graduates in the creative and digital industries to start their own businesses in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK -an area with lack of employing establishments and locally registered businesses. Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires and semi-structured interviews identified the constraining and enabling factors graduates may encounter when attempting to start a business, and explored the impact of support provided. FindingsPerceived constraining factors were: lack of general business knowledge, contradictory advisory support from external agencies, lack of sector-specific mentors, lack of finance, and experience of familial entrepreneurship. Perceived enabling factors were: co-mentoring from business partners, course content, financial gain, creativity and innovative ideas, control and risk taking, and the overarching package of support. Linkages between internal and external support could be improved. Research limitations/implicationsThe study provided insights into constraints and enablers to self-employment for a small cohort of recent graduates looking to start-up in the creative and digital industries. Further studies are required to explore the suggested effect of the 'creative identity', and of sector-specific family entrepreneurial background. Practical implicationsThe support provided by universities can facilitate the transition from early stage ideas to actual graduate business start-up. Issues such as provision of specialist advice and links with external parallel and follow-on support need to be considered. Originality/ValueUniversity start-up units provide an important contribution to the development of graduate entrepreneurs and their role in the growth of national and global economy. Suggestions for improvements in performance, such as closer links with external business development agencies and support providers, are discussed.

Section: Enterprise and Entrepreneurship In Higher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Graduate entrepreneurs: intentions, barriers and solutions

Beasley

2011

Education + Training

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“…As a result universities have been challenged to deliver inspiring and enriched entrepreneurial programmes, instilling in them the necessary skill sets and abilities required for dealing with uncertain business environments,, (Bumpus and Burton, 2008;Tan and Ng, 2006;Matlay,2011). Entrepreneurship through education was seen by many policy and strategy leaders as a positive venture, however the growth in the early 2000s did not appear to be co-ordinated or have a consistent approach with most curriculum-based programmes being offered through Business Schools (NCGE, 2008;McKeown et al, 2006;Matlay, 2005;ISBA, 2004; see also Brush et al, 2003 for provision in the US). ISBA (2004) argued that there was a need to develop programmes tailored to the specific needs of target markets, rather than providing generic courses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Entrepreneurial Education: Reflexive Approaches to Entrepreneurial Learning in Practice

Higgins

The Journal of Entrepreneurship

Mirza

2013

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Even though entrepreneurial education is quite a new phenomenon in higher education, as a field of inquiry it is one of the most rapidly growing areas of research However there is a wide spread consensus that traditional pedagogical methods of learning alone are insufficient to adequately develop entrepreneurs to deal with the complexities of running and creating innovating business opportunities. There is a wide spread consensus that traditional pedagogical "instructional methods" alone are insufficient to adequately develop entrepreneurs to deal with the complexities of running and creating business opportunities. As a consequence there is a growing need to cultivate innovative ways of thinking and new modes of pedagogy to fully enhance and develop entrepreneurial approaches to education and learning. It is argued that traditional approaches to entrepreneurial education tend to ignore, and not address, the ambiguities and uncertainties which surround the entrepreneurial process. The historical pre-occupation with an individualistic approach to entrepreneurial learning has continued to marginalise and de-value the broader social context in which the entrepreneur functions, (Goss, 2005). Current writing on entrepreneurial learning has shifted attention towards "learning for" as opposed to "learning about" entrepreneurship. The authors adopt a social constructionist perspective which draws recognition to the importance of inter-subjective knowledge exchange as a means of developing entrepreneurial learning. While there are numerous approaches to a social constructionist paradigm, the critical features of the perspective provide the manner by which "we" come to experience the social world. The approach suggests towards developing a pedagogical approach which explores the social processes that constitute entrepreneurial undertakings and thus shifts the focus away from the traditional positivist approaches to entrepreneurial learning. The paper seeks to contribute to a growing need to cultivate innovating ways of thinking, diverse skills and new modes of behaviour to fully enhance and develop entrepreneurial approaches to education. The paper sets out to address this problem by examining the role reflexivity can play in entrepreneurial education, as a method of critiquing what it means to practice as an entrepreneur.

“…Despite significant growth in policy calls and initiatives concerned with fostering entrepreneurial universities and enterprising graduates (BERR, 2008;BIS, 2010aBIS, , 2010bBIS, , 2011Wilson, 2012), the main attention so far has been given to encouragement of entrepreneurship within undergraduate and master's courses with very little focus on the development of enterprising skills for those undertaking research degrees (McKeown et al, 2006). There is currently little published information on the state of enterprise education provision and the needs of postgraduate researcher students (PGRs) in relation to enterprise and entrepreneurship education, and few accessible examples of good practice (Phillips, 2010;Zalevski and Swiszczowski, 2009)).…”

Section: Evaluating the State Of Enterprise Training For Post-graduatmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the state of enterprise training for postgraduate researchers in the UK

Williams

Yasin

et al. 2013

Education + Training

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Purpose -This paper seeks to provide insight into the state of enterprise education and skills training at postgraduate level at UK higher education institutions (HEIs).Design/Methodology/Approach -Case study Approach. A case-study research strategy was used to address the lack of existing research on enterprise training for PGRs. The initial task was to identify those UK universities which provide enterprise and entrepreneurship training for their PGRs. Based on this desk exercise, 5 universities were selected according to the nature and structure of their training programmes ands geographical spread such that one university was included from Wales, Scotland, South of England, Midlands and North of England. The next stage of the research focused on gaining in-depth understanding of the enterprise training available to PRGs at selected universities through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with key personnel responsible for the design and management of PGR enterprise education programmes. The data collected was analysed using the Rugby Team Impact Framework to explore the training and development provision and structure, internal and external profile raising and awareness, staff and skills required, research-based practices, the reaction of participants, behaviour and outcomes, stakeholder engagement, and ongoing strategy Results. The study highlights the current best practices in enterprise education for PGRs. It identified key factors contributing to the success of selected programmes including the development of objectives, the modes and pedagogy of delivery, and the involvement of stakeholders.Implications. The results of the research enable universities across the UK to drive the development of a suite of learning opportunities tailored to the needs of the PGR population in order to overcome barriers to engagement and best promote entrepreneurial activity -both within employment and as new venture creation -as appropriate career options.Originality/Value. This paper contributes to the limited literature concerning the state of enterprise training for PGRs which provides a detail analysis of current provisions useful for benchmarking and planning purposes and which can be useful to researchers and enterprise education providers.