The University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s trainer Mark Flagg describes the roll-out of the programme in Wales as follows: “Our journey began back in November when thirty of our student teachers attended the Enterprise Conference at Dylan Thomas Centre Swansea, keen to learn about the EntreComp model, aware that they will need to deliver upon the call for entrepreneurial thinkers with the right skills to navigate the demands of the fourth industrial revolution. With almost immediate effect our new teachers were enthused by the utility of the framework to add a breadth of value focus to their lesson design to employ across their micro-teaching sessions and placements.”
Mark sees clear benefits of the EntreComp framework for entrepreneurial education: “The EntreComp framework provides for clear and focused engagement with entrepreneurship, especially useful to new teachers who can perceive entrepreneurship as mystified in coded language. Our student teachers now recognise themselves as key change agents of entrepreneurship.”
Participants in Wales come from various backgrounds
Last month, the Wales-based EntreCompEdu pilot participants drawn from science through to arts, work-based learning, business and sports, engaged in a preparatory EntreCompEdu workshop led by Mark. This involved a number of activities to familiarise with the EntreComp framework and the developing online CPD and self-assessment tools. Initial feedback reports the reflection activities are already helping students with both their placement work and academic assignments. Mark added, “there is great enthusiasm for the connectedness of EntreComp and the EntreCompEdu training programme, and for the development of skills that are widely transferable”.
EntreCompEdu seeds play and experimental approach to value creation
Paul Ranson is taking full advantage of the EntreCompEdu journey. He teaches UWTSD’s Outreach programme by working in partnership with community-focused organisations to fosters skills such as digital competences and project management. A video games developer and entrepreneur himself, he has been frustrated with the over-emphasis in education that being an entrepreneur is mainly about being focused on the money. “Educator development that is supported with competences and content that tune into the wider value creation is really enthusing”. He adds: “the reflective pieces are really helping me fine-tune my teaching competence, across the range of ages and backgrounds of students within an Outreach University context”.
Following Paul’s introduction to the tools, he was inspired to work on a Reflective Lego Simulation as an entrepreneurial-informed means to facilitate the requirements of Project Management. This trial in Paul’s own class was a success: “I had lovely feedback from my adult students, who adored the playful and experimental approach to develop their knowledge, understanding and application”. Paul has also embedded EntreComp-inspired activities in a new module for digital skills and research methods. “The focus here was for my students to research the relationship between diligence and academic outcomes, which has a golden thread tied to the EntreComp self-awareness and self-efficacy competencies”. Paul concluded, “I’m really excited about this tool which clearly encourages educator access to new concepts and ideas, and provides opportunities for entrepreneurial experimentation and reflection.”
