This examination should be conducted within the context of your own documented experiences of teaching and learning on enterprise education of enterprise education related courses. Such experiences may include participating in the Whalley Range High School Enterprise Programme. What is Enterprise and Entrepreneurship? In “Business Studies”, Marcouse states that “An Entrepreneur is prepared to take risks in order to exploit a business opportunity.
This term is often used to describe a person starting their own business venture for the first time.” (Marcouse et al, 2003) Hall et al, 1993, in “Business Studies, 3rd Edition” describe Enterprise and Entrepreneurship as developing “a business idea…then hiring and organising the other three factors of production (Capital, Labour and Land) to carry out the activity. Entrepreneurs also take risks because they will often use some personal money to help set up the business.”
On the teachernet website Enterprise is described as encouraging young people “to be creative” in using what they have “learned about business and finance” The QCA and the website AQA syllabus describe it as “the ability to handle uncertainty and respond positively to change, to create and implement new ideas and ways of doing things, to make reasonable risk/reward assessments and act upon them in one’s personal and working life. It can be described as: innovation, risk-management, a ‘can-do’ attitude and the drive to make ideas happen.” Enterprise at Whalley Range is “Developing business and financial knowledge, learning skills and making ideas happen”. (Lecture Notes, Raffo, A, 2009)
In his June 2004 speech, Gordon Brown expresses his desire to see the idea of entrepreneurial activity being something that is open to all and not just a select few and believes that the way to achieve this is to introduce Enterprise Education into all schools. “Creating an enterprise culture starts not in the boardroom but in the classroom. Yet when I was at school no business ever came near the doors of our classroom.”
The 2004 Enterprise Discussion Paper states that there are variations between genders in terms of entrepreneurial activity with male entrepreneurship being two and a half times more common than female entrepreneurship. Although 93% of adults in the United Kingdom admire people who run their own business, 71% believe that it accords a person higher status in society and 51% believe that starting your own business is a good career choice, there are still barriers in place that prevent people from doing so. Barriers mentioned in the discussion paper include lacking necessary skills, fear of failure, access to finance, complexity of regulations and loss of current income and security. Installing enterprise education in the curriculum creates a window of opportunity for all pupils to access learning the enterprise and entrepreneurial skills necessary for future employment or creating their own businesses.
Enterprise Education Policy
The curriculum requires that schools and colleges prepare young people aged between 12 and 19 for the “opportunities, responsibilities and experiences” of adult, working life. (Education Act, 1996 and 1997). Since September 2004 there has been a statutory requirement that young people should experience some work related learning at Key stage 4 and since September 2005, this has to include and element of enterprise education. (AQA Certificate in Enterprise and Employability Specification, 2008) The Government require that Enterprise Education in schools includes Enterprise Skills, Business and Economic Understanding and Financial Capabilities. (Lecture Notes, Raffo, A, 2009)
The relationship between Enterprise Education and The Every Child Matters (ECM) Agenda
The ECM agenda, has five outcomes. Enterprise Education complements three of these outcomes: “enjoy and achieve”, making a “positive contribution” and achievement of “economic well-being”. (ECM Website) I will look at these outcomes individually and relate specifically to each, how enterprise education can help to achieve these outcomes.
In his June 2004 speech, Gordon Brown expresses his desire to see the idea of entrepreneurial activity being something that is open to all and not just a select few and believes that the way to achieve this is to introduce Enterprise Education into all schools. “Creating an enterprise culture starts not in the boardroom but in the classroom. Yet when I was at school no business ever came near the doors of our classroom.”
The 2004 Enterprise Discussion Paper states that there are variations between genders in terms of entrepreneurial activity with male entrepreneurship being two and a half times more common than female entrepreneurship. Although 93% of adults in the United Kingdom admire people who run their own business, 71% believe that it accords a person higher status in society and 51% believe that starting your own business is a good career choice, there are still barriers in place that prevent people from doing so. Barriers mentioned in the discussion paper include lacking necessary skills, fear of failure, access to finance, complexity of regulations and loss of current income and security. Installing enterprise education in the curriculum creates a window of opportunity for all pupils to access learning the enterprise and entrepreneurial skills necessary for future employment or creating their own businesses.
Enterprise Education Policy
The curriculum requires that schools and colleges prepare young people aged between 12 and 19 for the “opportunities, responsibilities and experiences” of adult, working life. (Education Act, 1996 and 1997). Since September 2004 there has been a statutory requirement that young people should experience some work related learning at Key stage 4 and since September 2005, this has to include and element of enterprise education. (AQA Certificate in Enterprise and Employability Specification, 2008) The Government require that Enterprise Education in schools includes Enterprise Skills, Business and Economic Understanding and Financial Capabilities. (Lecture Notes, Raffo, A, 2009)
The relationship between Enterprise Education and The Every Child Matters (ECM) Agenda The ECM agenda, has five outcomes. Enterprise Education complements three of these outcomes: “enjoy and achieve”, making a “positive contribution” and achievement of “economic well-being”. (ECM Website) I will look at these outcomes individually and relate specifically to each, how enterprise education can help to achieve these outcomes.
