A presentation held in A Global Summit of Entrepreneurial Educators in Swansea Wales 25th-26th June 2014 by Dr Minna Riikka Järvinen & M.Sci. Elena Ruskovaara

1. Keys for Future Finland:
Well-being and Entrepreneurial Spirit
Minna Riikka Järvinen, PhD, MA, EMBA, Exec.D.
Development Centre Opinkirjo
Minnariikka.jarvinen@opinkirjo.fi
Elena Ruskovaara, M.Sc.
Lappeenranta University of Technology
The University of Warwick
Elena.ruskovaara@lut.fi
www.lut.fi/entre

2. Finland and Entrepreneurship
Education
− Finland is the first European Union country to embed entrepreneurship
education in curricula at all education levels, from basic education to tertiary
education. (European Commission, 2002)
− In Finland, entrepreneurship education has been a harmonising, cross-
curricular theme in national basic education curricula since 1994
− Entrepreneurship education should be present in the everyday education
delivered in Finnish basic and general upper secondary schools. (Finnish
National Board of Education, 2003; 2004)
− All vocational degrees contain a minimum of 5 study weeks of
entrepreneurship education (Opetushallitus, 2009)
− See also Guidelines for entrepreneurship education & national targets
(Ministry of Education, 2009)

3. Finland and Entrepreneurship
Education
− Entrepreneurship in the Finnish national core curricula:
− Entrepreneurship (entrepreneurial, enterprise, enterprising) education
should be both content and method of learning / teaching
− Themes and aims of curricula: intrapreneurship, active citizenship,
enterprising attitude and school culture, entrepreneurship as a career
choice, cooperation between school and world of work (Finnish National
Board of Education, 2003; 2004)
− New core curricula for basic education is coming 2016…

4. Future Finland: Land of Well-
being, Creativity and
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Draft: The Core Curriulum for Basic Education 2016 Finland; grades 1-9
Suggests teaching & working methods
Addresses collaborative and holistical themes across
subjects
Defines Competences for Future

5. ”6 Cs pf entrepreneurial spirit”
Fullan (2013): Great to excellent
Cultural
competence,
participation,
leading by
influence and
building a
sustainable future
Multi-literacy,
C in IT-
technology
Creativity in pursuing
novel ideas and
solutions
Life-skills, learning-to-learn,
responsibility, self-confidence
Work-life skills,
contribute to
others’ learning,
entrepreneurship
Critical thinking & problem solving

6. Future challenges and
possibilities
• Teachers’ changing role
• Embedding new curricula
• Range of “added” future skills
• Expanding learning environment, shared expertise
• New curricula = enterprising curricula
• …