The purpose of this paper is two‐fold; first, to explore the Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education (SPEED) programme, which aims to help students gain real business…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is two‐fold; first, to explore the Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education (SPEED) programme, which aims to help students gain real business start‐up experience whilst at university and second to examine the impact of SPEED on the students.
Design/methodology/approach
For the first part of the paper, the author explores the SPEED programme in the context of “experiential learning”. Second, the “critical incident technique” approach is explored and found to be a suitable approach towards obtaining “real‐life” insights into students' business start‐up experience.
Findings
The paper finds that the “experiential learning” approach and all “critical incidents” have been valuable learning experiences for the students on SPEED. SPEED has provided a platform for students to gain the experience, knowledge and confidence to either set up a business or use their new‐found experiences to succeed in securing a job upon graduation.
Research limitations/implications
As this programme is delivered across 13 higher education institutions in the UK, there is a need for further research on SPEED and for comparisons to be drawn for future practice.
Originality/value
This paper provides an insight into student entrepreneurs within a university context, a relatively unexplored area. The results also indicate the value of “experience” and the “experiential learning” approach within an enterprise programme.
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Carl Senior and Robert Cubbidge
The purpose of this paper is to place all of the contributions to this special issue into a theoretical framework and to highlight the role that the so‐called “information age…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to place all of the contributions to this special issue into a theoretical framework and to highlight the role that the so‐called “information age mindset” has in the facilitation of employability skills.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper discusses the major themes of this special issue.
Findings
Undergraduate students do see the importance of technological innovation in the classroom but they see the development of experiential or work‐based skills to be more important.
Practical implications
Future curriculum design should consider the expectations and attitudes of the modern day undergraduate student to ensure that potential employability is maximised.
Originality/value
The findings are placed into the wider context of the emerging field of evolutionary educational psychology.
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David Rae and Naomi Ruth Woodier-Harris
Enterprise and entrepreneurship education (EEE) is seen as a major contributor to economic growth and development in the post-2008 environment we term the “New Era”. The role of…
Abstract
Purpose
Enterprise and entrepreneurship education (EEE) is seen as a major contributor to economic growth and development in the post-2008 environment we term the “New Era”. The role of EEE in enabling graduates to develop entrepreneurial intentions and career plans is therefore of major importance. The paper explores how EEE can influence postgraduate entrepreneurship and career initiation in the context of the New Era economy at an international level.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper explores the learning experiences of a group of 60 postgraduate international students who completed an Entrepreneurship programme at the University of Lincoln which included the development of personal learning narratives and career plans. The students were exposed to the opportunity-centred entrepreneurship approach and the “Entrepreneurial Effectiveness” model in the QAA (2012) guidelines. Their narratives were analysed to assess: prior career intentions, proposed career intentions resulting from the EEE programme, application of learning arising from the EEE programme and a survey of students was used to validate the narratives
Findings
EEE has a wider influence on personal development and career planning than simply the intention to create new ventures. The paper builds on a prior study of international postgraduate students’ orientation to entrepreneurship education in their expectations of the UK higher education, which confirmed that career development is a major motivator for international study in the UK (Rae and Woodier-Harris, 2012). The paper contributes new understanding of the relationships between EEE and graduate career intentions, especially at PG and international levels. The paper explores personal growth, confidence and identity development, formation of new career intentions and the application of learning. The international dimension is considerable and this is discussed.
Practical implications
The paper has implications for the marketing, design and delivery of EEE at international and HE institutional levels, as well as for the practices of educators in designing, validating and delivering programmes for entrepreneurial career development, at national and international levels.
Originality/value
The paper contributes new understanding to the role of EEE in postgraduate career initiation at international level in a period of significant and complex economic transformation.
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David Rae and Naomi Woodier‐Harris
International postgraduate education in business‐related subjects has grown substantially in the UK. Both MBA and specialist Masters’ programmes increasingly offer…
Abstract
Purpose
International postgraduate education in business‐related subjects has grown substantially in the UK. Both MBA and specialist Masters’ programmes increasingly offer entrepreneurship as a core or option. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in meeting the expectations and motivations of international postgraduate students.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors explored four questions through a survey of international students participating in entrepreneurship courses in two Business Schools: What is the typical profile of the international students’ prior education and work experience? What do students expect from studying an entrepreneurship PG course in the UK? What are their experiences of, and learning outcomes from, the entrepreneurship course? What benefits regarding their skills and knowledge do they perceive result from participation?
Findings
The results confirm that career development is a major motivator for international study in the UK. Entrepreneurship can help to address cultural tensions between postgraduate students’ expectations and their experiences of UK business education.
Practical implications
Suggestions are offered for educators on the effective design and delivery of entrepreneurship for international students in the rapidly changing and competitive postgraduate market.
Social implications
Cultural integration, learning effectiveness and linguistic capability need to be addressed in designing learning programmes for international students.
Originality/value
The paper contributes new evidence to the debate on meeting the career expectations and motivations of international postgraduate students participating in entrepreneurship education, especially in the light of new curricular guidance and UK government regulation.