The OSKU project aims to develop entrepreneurship training for social and health care students through student cooperatives. Students gain practical experience by running their own business cooperatives while still in school. This allows them to combine theoretical and practical learning to benefit themselves and others. The teacher acts as a coach to guide students as they plan, implement, and assess new ideas and reflect on their experiences. Results include stronger entrepreneurial skills and intentions among students as well as a new approach for providing social and health care services through student cooperatives.

1. TOWARDS COOPERATIVE BUSINESS IN
WELFARE SECTOR (OSKU)
Riikka Mäkelä; Lahti University of Applied Sciences
Keywords: entrepreneurship, learning by doing, learning by developing, teamwork
Introduction and aim TEACHER IS
Conclusions
A COACH
OSKU Towards a cooperative business in WHO SUPPORTS
welfare sector - the future professionals AND GUIDES The OSKU project generates a new kind of
who are acting entrepreneurially entrepreneurship in social and health care.
Attitudes towards entrepreneurship during
social and health care studies will become
The project aims to develop entrepreneurship Methods more positive, and cooperative business
training and entrepreneurial learning in the knowledge will increase. The role of the
Social and Health Care sector. The project teacher will evolve, and new learning
The role of the teacher is to act as a learning
creates student cooperatives, business methods and pedagogical points of view will
facilitator - coaching and encouraging students
organisations owned and operated by a group be introduced into discussion.
to plan, implement and assess new ideas and
of students. While running a cooperative
products and to reflect their learning
business, students combine theoretical and The project fosters regional entrepreneurship.
experiences while working in a student
practical studies, and to benefit mutually, they With student cooperatives, the region will gain
cooperative. In this way, theory and evaluation
work, learn and generate new knowledge a new approach for the provision of social and
are also integrated into practice.
together. Students and teachers from the fields health care services. As a result, interaction
of social work, physiotherapy and nursing and cooperation between profession and
participate in the cooperative action. education will be strengthened.
LEARNING BY WORKING OPPORTUNITY NOW I KNOW THAT I’M
IN MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TO CHOOSE AND
STUDENT COOPERATIVE
UP FOR ANYTHING THAT
CREATE YOUR OWN THE FUTURE BRINGS
LEARNING PATH ALONG!
Customer-oriented approach to work, job
development, risk management and innovation
become possible in student cooperatives. The SURF’S UP
cooperative is part of the students’ path to
entrepreneurship. The concepts of learning that
DUDES!
Results support this kind of teaching include Learning
by Doing, Learning by Developing, Problem
The project supports and develops students’ Based Learning and Inquiry-Based Learning.
entrepreneurial approach to work. As a
contribution, the entrepreneurial intentions of
students will grow stronger. Learning through
working in a cooperative is educational, and at Organisation: Lahti University of
the same time it builds knowledge for future Applied Sciences
running of business. Students' initiative,
responsibility, creativity, social skills and ability Coordinating Organisation:
to work in a team are enhanced through studies. Lahti University of Applied Sciences
The first multi-disciplinary student cooperative (Faculty of Social and Health Care)
was established in spring 2011. Since then,
students have offered services and responded Duration: 9/2010-1/2013
to the local service inquiries through the student Funding Program:
cooperative. The European Social Fund (ESF)
2007-2013
A NATURAL
LINK BETWEEN
WORKING LIFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Project Manager: Riikka Mäkelä
AND STUDENTS SUPPORTS riikka.makela@lamk.fi
AND DEVELOPS http://www.lamk.fi/osku
STUDENTS’
Tel.: +358 44 708 1090
ENTREPRENEURIAL
APPROACH TO
WORK