Page 72 - 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

Ireland is unique in a sense that there is a programme in place to ensure
systematic involvement of micro-enterprises. The SME business support network
assists company visits for students on IVET programmes (Leaving certificate
vocational programme and the Leaving certificate applied). This programme,
known as Enterprise encounter, brings senior IVET students into direct contact
with entrepreneurs in their locality, through visits to small businesses. The goal is
to give students a real insight into what is required to set up and run a business
and to inculcate an entrepreneurial mentality in their way of thinking about their
future career options (see Example 1).

Example 1. Enterprise encounter: company visits to SMEs, Ireland

The county and city enterprise boards (CEBs) were established in Ireland in 1993 to provide
support for small businesses with 10 employees or less, at local level. The national network of
CEBs, in conjunction with the Department of Education and Science, has developed an initiative
called Enterprise encounter. It supports teachers in delivering an active, student-centred
programme in enterprise awareness. It is aimed at IVET students (students on the Leaving
certificate vocational and the Leaving certificate applied programmes).
Enterprise encounter brings senior students into direct contact with entrepreneurs in their
locality, through planning, organising and making one-off investigative visits to small businesses.
These visits take place during school time for a maximum of one hour and involve a small team of
students interviewing the entrepreneur about his/her career and business.
The Enterprise encounter experience provides students with an insight into the courage,
drive, persistence and vision required to set up and run a business. From an entrepreneur’s
perspective there are also benefits, such as raising the profile of the entrepreneur’s business in the
local community.

3.1.2. Role models
Another successful approach – one still too rarely available – is that involving role
models. Wales is one country where a concerted effort has been placed on
finding and recruiting active and successful entrepreneurs to act as role models
in schools, colleges and universities, including vocationally orientated
establishments. As part of the Dynamo role model programme, entrepreneurs
who ‘epitomise’ the spirit of entrepreneurship have been hand-picked to act as
role models. They have been trained to provide inspirational yet realistic
presentations about their experiences, encouraging students to think positively
about their career options (Arad Consulting, 2007). They speak to approximately
60 000 pupils/students students every year (see Example 2).

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