Entrepreneurship and Higher Education: An Employability Perspective

Abstract

Abstract A culture of cleanliness was created to cope with the demands of social and economic change. Today, though, 'To adjust to the increasingly knowledge driven economy, we have to do the same for curiosity and creativity'. Entrepreneurship is one expression of that drive to create a knowledge society. This paper argues that entrepreneurship can be seen as a special form of employability. When universities and colleges promote employability, they are also promoting elements of entrepreneurship. However, if this is to lead to self-employment, more is needed. Students need to understand what it means to be self-employed, what sources of help are available and where the main pitfalls lie. Higher education do something to meet these needs but provision is restricted and not, in practice, equally available to all students. The lack of systematic research in this area means that there is a shortage of evidence about interesting and effective practices; about 'quality signals' - indicators that provision is of the highest quality; and about the connections between entrepreneurship, employability and mainstream higher education curricula in all subject areas at postgraduate and undergraduate levels. While entrepreneurship often shows up in the form of self-employment, it can also take the form of innovative and creative activity by employees in larger enterprises. We use the neologism 'intrapreneurship' to refer to this and begin to consider how higher education might encourage it. Of course, as with employability, enter- and intra-preneurship are continuing achievements. Schools and higher education may contribute to innovative and creative practices but they need to take on new forms and to grow throughout life if the benefits are really to be appreciated. The Higher Education Academy Learning and Employability Series know enough to see how we might confidently proceed. Accompanying research and evaluation will help us to fine-tune our approach.