Enhancing employability through

enterprise education

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• Reflection on what enterprise education is and how

it complements and enhances employability

• Discussion and sharing of approaches to addressing

and embedding enterprise education

• An introduction to the HEA resource enhancing

employability through enterprise education

Workshop objectives

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Defining enterprise education

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Enterprise education is not business

studies. Entrepreneurship is only one

of the possible outcomes. Enterprise

education aims to equip students

with a set of capabilities which they

can apply to whichever context they

choose; the capability to take

action, effect change, create value,

and lead

University of Sheffield

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What and Why

Having the attitude, initiative and

ability to recognise opportunities and

the confidence and creativity to

make the most of them. Employers

value Enterprising people for the

fresh thinking they bring to the

workplace.

Staffordshire University

We are trying to tackle the

'wicked' problem of preparing

students for jobs that don't yet

exist, using technologies that have

not yet been invented, in order to

solve problems that we don't

know are problems yet.’

Norman Jackson 2008 – The

Wicked Problem of Creativity in

Higher Education

Why

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The process of equipping students

(or graduates) with an enhanced

capacity to generate ideas and the

skills to make them happen.

Behaviours

Attributes

Skills

Enterprise and entrepreneurship

education equips students from

all subject areas with the

attributes, capabilities and

skills to be entrepreneurial

within a range of employment

settings

Defining enterprise education QAA 2012

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• Creativity and innovation

• Opportunity recognition,

creation and evaluation

• Decision-making

• Problem solving

• Reflection & Action

• Financial & business literacy

• Implementation of ideas

through leadership and

management

• Managing autonomously

• Interpersonal skills &

awareness

• Confidence

• Communication & Strategy

skills

• Networking

• Persuasion & negotiation

• Perseverance & resilience

Enterprise Education Themes

behaviours, attributes & skills (QAA 2012)

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Defining employability

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Achievements, skills, knowledge

and personal attributes – that

enable graduates to gain employment, be

successful in their career, and manage

change effectively. This benefits them, the

organisation, the community and the

economy.

Preparing graduates for the future; for

a constantly changing global labour

market and a constantly changing

society.

‘Graduates need more than academic

knowledge and skills to stand out from

the crowd in today’s competitive global

job market.

In the 21st Century, employers expect ‘graduates to be enterprising, resilient, reliable, adaptable and flexible.

Defining employability

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• Subject specialists

• Investigative

• Independent & critical

thinkers

• Resourceful &

responsible

• Effective communicator

• Confident

• Adaptable

• Experienced

collaborator

• Ethically & socially

aware

• Reflective learner

University of Glasgow: graduate attributes for

employability

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• Personal development

• Project planning &

evaluation

• Innovation

• Problem-solving

• Business skills

• Communication skills

• Reflection

• Team working

• Sector skills

• Work experience

• Subject skills

• Research skills

• Career development

• Social & cultural

awareness

UCLAN: employability framework

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Making connections

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Government expectations

• Expect teaching and learning to develop the skills, knowledge and

attributes required for sustainable economic growth

Student expectations

• Expect value for money

• Expect to enhance their employability

• Expect to successful in their transitions from higher education

• Expect to be prepared for and be able to access options and opportunities

Employers/Labour Market

• Expect and need graduate skills, knowledge, attributes to be effective in a

global economic labour market, including;

flexibility, adaptability, enterprising mind set, being innovative and ability to think on their feet.

Making the case: drivers

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It is clear that a lack of

employability skills is harming the

ability of the young to enter the

workforce and being enterprising

is seen as a necessity by

Business.

David Frost Chair LEP Network

An education system fit for an

entrepreneur (2014)

Thread enterprise learning

throughout education. Enterprise

education can have a purposeful

impact in developing both the

soft and hard skills sets of young

people.

RSA Manifesto for Youth

Enterprise (2013)

The value of enterprise education in

enhancing employability

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Barriers and enablers

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Enterprise education : barriers

• Clarity of language: what is enterprise education?

• Ownership: is it university wide ?

• Engaging students: how?

• Making connections: employability

• Embedding in curriculum

• Support for staff

• Working together across the HEI

• Engaging employers- particularly SMEs

• Measuring impact

• Expectations

• High on agenda

• Employability

• QAA Guidelines

• Support

• Good practice

• Work related learning

• Working in partnership

internally

• And with external

stakeholders

Enterprise education: Enablers

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Enterprising behaviours

To help students develop core behaviours for enterprise through learning activities

that enable them to practise, exhibit and develop confidence in key areas.

Enterprising attributes

To help students discover and develop personal attributes for successful enterprise,

develop an awareness of these and find opportunities to enhance them.

Enterprising skills

To help students develop core skills for enterprise and provide opportunities

for these to be practised within a range of situations to gain enhanced

confidence and self belief.

Enterprise education: Role of Educator (QAA 2012)

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Enabler: sharing good practice

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