BEST PRACTISES RELATED TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING FOR STUDENTS?

proACADEMY (presentation in the seminar)

Tampere Polytechnic (TAMK) is a multidisciplinary industrial-trade polytechnic with educational fields of Business Economics, Art and Media, Natural Resources and Technology. In 1999 a separate learning-by-doing –project proACADEMY was established at the Business School. Students who have studied business (trade and administration) for one study year (40 study weeks) can apply to continue their studies in the proACADEMY. While studying to be Bachelors of Business Administration the students work as entrepreneurs. The students form a team, which sets up a co-operative society. The average turnover per year is approximately 100.000 €.

The corner stones of proACADEMY are real business, the teams and true learning organizations and creating a need to learn. Every team has their own “coach”, whose task is to support and advise the students. The coach teaches theory when the students ask for it or the students does not know it yet. The students define their goals and achievement target together, gain common learning experiments and are responsible for their learning.

The learning is maintained and tested in practice in projects. Learning by doing and in dialogue are the most important methods or procedures in learning process. Learning occurs in many levels: in individuals, teams, organisation and network. The projects are commissions from the business life (e.g. marketing activities, organising events). During one semester, there can be approx. 50-100 different projects.

40 students have already graduated from proACADEMY and 25 % (8 persons) have continued as entrepreneurs. The co-operative societies will normally turn to the limited companies after graduating from proACADEMY and starting professional entrepreneurship.

http://www.pellervo.fi/otlehti/uotneuvonta/liite02/eikoulua1.htm

LYYTI – Löydä oma yrittäjyytesi (LYYTI – Find Your Own Entrepreneurship)

LYYTI – löydä oma yrittäjyytesi is entrepreneurship education project in North-Savo. Target group of the programme is teachers from all school levels and the students of University of Joensuu studying to become teachers. For the students enterprise education is part of the studies of secondary subject at the Department of pedagogies. The programme is implemented by the Continuing Education Centre of the University of Joensuu in co-operation with the department of pedagogies of the University of Joensuu. The project is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the County Administrative Board of Eastern Finland.

The aim of the programme is to give resources and means for planning and implementing enterprise education in schools, educational institutions and municipalities. Other important objects are, among other things, to help the young people see entrepreneurship as a real career option and as a possibility. One aim is to create a continuum of enterprise education, in which enterprise education is normal activity in different educational levels, possibly already from day care until higher education.

http://tkk.joensuu.fi/alue/lyyti/index.htm