1. Enterprise and
Entrepreneurship in
the Curriculum
Glynn Skerratt

2. In a round please complete
ONE of the following
sentences:
One thing I would like to get
out of this session is …
One issue which I would like
us to discuss about enterprise
and entrepreneurship is …

3. A few questions…
Why do we want students to be
more enterprising?
Why is it a „good thing‟?
How is it going to help „them‟?
How is it going to help „us‟?
What are we going to do about it?

4. Staffordshire University Plan
2012-2017
 The VC says:
I believe that HE is a learning process
whereby […] key personal skills (e.g. oral
and written presentation skills) are acquired
alongside an understanding of the skills of
employability, enterprise and
entrepreneurialism and…

5. Staffordshire University Plan
2012-2017
 Values
 Innovation and enterprise
Being innovative, enterprising and
entrepreneurial for us means
encouraging creativity and taking
balanced risks

6. Staffordshire University Plan
2012-2017
 The VC goes on to say:
“[Our students] will be known and respected
by employers for the key graduate attributes
that appear in the Staffordshire Graduate,
specifically the particular emphasis on the 3Es
of employability, enterprise and
entrepreneurialism”

7. The Staffordshire Graduate
Professionalism:
 Be prepared to be work-ready and
employable and understand the
importance of being enterprising and
entrepreneurial

8. Staffordshire University Plan
2012-2017
 Measures of Success
 Staff Key Target
Achieve a consistent increase in the numbers of staff
engaged in curriculum related research (broadly
defined), enterprise and advanced scholarship
towards 100% participation by academic staff over
the planning period
 Business Key Target
Stimulate, nurture and support at least 200 new
commercial and social enterprises founded by
Staffordshire University students and staff

9. In the round,
please complete
this sentence:
I could explain more about
enterprise and
entrepreneurship to
students, if only…

10. ‘Entrepreneurship and enterprise
are important components
in all curricula’
StronglyNeutralStrongly
AgreeDisagree

11. ‘There is already enough enterprise
and entrepreneurial activity within the
curriculum…’
StronglyNeutralStrongly
Agree Disagree

12. Characteristics of an entrepreneur…
 Visionary; creative; innovative
 Adaptable; problem-solver
 Persuasive; inspirational
 Confident; determined; motivated; a self-believer;
achiever; selfish
 Competitive; ambitious; a risk-taker; one who
perseveres, resilient
 Honest
 Disciplined; hard working
 Organised; a planner; a decision-maker
 Understanding
 Leaders; team workers
 Networkers
 Takers of opportunities
 Researchers; enquirers, problem solvers

13. Attributes most highly valued
by a range of employers…
 Motivation
 Confidence
 Resilience
 Initiative
 Interpersonal skills
 Emotional Intelligence
 Open-minded
 Problem solving
 Team Working
 Independent working

14. Academics say entrepreneurship involves…
 “Innovation to achieve a specific goal, allows risk taking.”
 “Business initiation that has a higher than normal risk
associated with it (i.e. not all business development is
necessarily a result of entrepreneurship). It‟s also your
risk, mainly.”
 “Innovation, determination, leadership, risk-taking,
resilience, vision, ability…”
 “To have or develop the skills to establish a business-
oriented mind set.
 “Thinking out of the box.”
 “Creativity.”
 “Ability to take ideas, own or others, and convert into a
product or service which is profitable.”
 “A serial assembler of bits and pieces into a previously
unconsidered commercial whole.”
 “Skills, attributes and competencies associated with
entrepreneurs applied in the environment helps to foster
„entrepreneurial‟ approach by staff and students for
development of: transferable skills; employability skills;
creating and building for a successful future.”

15. A few things to consider…
 Entrepreneurship
 Enterprise
 Intrapreneurship
 Social
entrepreneurship
 Employability

16. Question…
Why is the teaching
of enterprise and/or
entrepreneurship
skills difficult for us?

17. Problems with incorporating
enterprise/entrepreneurship
into the curriculum…
 There is a limited amount ofspace/time
 Many academics/practitioners prefer to teach
their own research work or specialism
 It doesn‟t fit into traditional academic discourse
 Some students aren‟t interested in being [more]
enterprising or entrepreneurial

19. A few questions…
 Can you identify where enterprise and
entrepreneurship manifest themselves in your
programmes/awards - can students actually *be*
enterprising and entrepreneurial on your awards?
 How are they made aware of this, by whom and
when?
 Are enterprise and entrepreneurship knowledge and
skills made explicit within learning outcomes?
 How is enterprise and entrepreneurial activity
monitored and reviewed when updating modules?

20. Embedding
enterprise/entrepreneurship into
the curriculum…but where?
 Within skills modules?
 Within careers modules?
 Within „Introduction to Research‟ module(s)
 Within „Dissertation‟ module(s)
 Within tutorials
 Within work placement/work experience
modules
 Within personal study, independent
study/learning module(s)

21. At what level, and how, is
enterprise & entrepreneurship
best incorporated into the
curriculum?
Level 1/4, 2/5 or 3/6?
Vertical Project?
Programme Event?
Embedded within core modules?
Stand alone optional module?
L&T content?
Assessment?

22. As for tactics… I would:
 Focus on the acquisition of skills and explain
why this is important
 Get students to interview or to talk to or to
listen to entrepreneurs & enterprising people
 Invite entrepreneurs & enterprising people in
to talk to students and staff
 Simulate pre-start up, and start up, activities
 Use case studies and mentoring, including
any in-class students who have a business

23. I wouldn‟t…
 Use the word „entrepreneurship‟ too
much
 Use a text book about
entrepreneurship
 Use concepts and models
 Focus on knowledge acquisition
 Only focus on the good or on the bad
points of being self-employed

24. Activity…
• Please share one final thought - for
example:
• An action you will take
• Something you have learnt from this
session
• Please write it on a post it and put it on
the flip chart
• These will be sharedon Blackboard after
the session

25. Thanks for your
time
e: r.g.skerratt@staffs.ac.uk
: Glynnn