Page 129 - guidance-supporting-europe-s-aspiring-entrepreneurs-policy-and-practice-to-harness-future-potential

Guidance supporting Europe’s aspiring entrepreneurs
Policy and practice to harness future potential

practical assignments get them to think about their personality, and demands and
rewards associated with entrepreneurship.
Another important career exploration tool is internships, especially when they
are organised in start-up companies, and supported by pre- and post-placement
evaluations that allow students to reflect on the objectives and lessons they have
learned. A particularly good example of such an approach that involves student
placements in high-tech start-up companies was found in Norway. Many other
universities, colleges and polytechnics rely on the same approach, although they
may not be equally committed to tailoring the placements to fit the
‘entrepreneurship’ agenda as such.
One key lesson behind the real-life, ‘entrepreneurial’ way of teaching and
guiding is that it can discourage some students from starting a career as an
entrepreneur, as students experience the negative aspects of entrepreneurial
career paths. At the same time, it is expected that such learning opportunities
teach students to be independent and possess initiative, communication, team-
working skills, and a certain level of maturity, as students have had to take
responsibility for their own learning.
Dedicated programmes and activities focused on building the confidence and
self-efficacy of HE students are still few. This is often expected to be the by-
product of many extra-curricular activities and is less frequently the primary
focus; instead, many activities seek to build the skills base and raise awareness.
The Enterprisers programme from Cambridge University presented an example
of good practice in this field.
Business simulations and games are used by HEIs in Europe, though not to
the same degree as in upper secondary education.
Business plan/idea competitions and awards have become an established
feature in the European HE arena. They are useful in the sense that they drive
young people into ‘performing to the best of their ability’ and pursuing their
entrepreneurial ideas. They are also an effective promotional tool as they provide
a means of reaching large numbers of students, as award ceremonies are
normally associated with a high profile event or a prize.
Both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees on entrepreneurship are still
primarily taught in business schools. However, within this study some good
practice examples of HEIs have been identified which have taken an
interdisciplinary approach to entrepreneurship learning. For example, universities
in some countries have started offering modules on entrepreneurship to science
and engineering students; similar specialised courses offered to humanities and
social science students are, however, still rare. There are even fewer HEIs which
have embedded entrepreneurship in the curriculum across all subjects.

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