If you have kids, it’s isn’t hard to figure out that they aren’t coming home with textbooks on free enterprise. The fact is we are failing to provide today’s youth with the skill sets our economy is based on.
In other countries, starting a business can be a daunting task especially in areas where red tape prevents access to markets. Here in the US, one can easily set up a business and have it running within a week’s time, allowing anyone to create wealth.
So if our economy is based on free enterprise, how come we don’t teach it in the same manner we teach math, science and language?
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) published a press release yesterday stating in a recent study they found entrepreneurship education/training inadequate in 31 countries.
“Entrepreneurship education is one of several key factors, along with access to finance, government policies, infrastructure, and others, that influence attitudes about entrepreneurship and people’s willingness to start businesses, according to GEM. Interviews with experts in 31 countries around the world found that in almost every country entrepreneurship education and training was inadequate, especially in primary and secondary schools.”
The bigger question is Why? Why don’t we teach entrepreneurship if we know that at some point 100 percent of our population will be exposed to it either as an employer, employee or consumer?
Babson Professor Donna Kelley says, “Training at a young age cultivates an entrepreneurial spirit early on, but college-level training is important too, because it validates entrepreneurship as a potential career path. Besides skill-building, training increases an individual’s awareness of entrepreneurship and their intent to start a business, and improves perceptions about their ability to do so.”
“Other GEM findings:
- Across 38 countries, where training in starting a business was measured, only 21% of the adult population had received training.
- Training appears to have the greatest effect on early-stage entrepreneurial activity in wealthier, innovation-driven countries with favorable institutional frameworks.
- The highest levels of training were found in Finland and Chile, countries with government initiatives aimed at stimulating and preparing individuals to start businesses.
- Men are more likely than women to seek training.
- Younger individuals are more likely to have received training in starting a business, reflecting a recent rise in entrepreneurship education in many countries’ formal educational systems.”
Ask yourself: Where will we be as a society without people starting businesses? What products will we consume and where will they come from? Who will we work for? The government? Will we outsource our human capital to other countries? Is this what we want?
Success to you!
Melissa
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Just stopped by to check out the blog, found you on twitter moms! Come follow back if you get the chance.
Diane
http://turning-the-clock-back.blogspot.com/
Diane, glad to be seeing your posts each day.
That is a great idea… teaching our kids to be entrepreneurs (just like other school subjects such as math, language, English, etc.). I think that running a business can be easy if you know what you are doing, but a lot of times it is so overwhelming- mainly due to the fact that people just don’t have the knowledge to know how to run a successful business. There is a great book titled, “The Ultimate Boomer Business Launch Workbook” written by Jeff Williams that does a great job of teaching people how to run a business (step-by-step)- no more guessing. There needs to be more of these types of books and training out there, or maybe even have the subject taught in Jr. and Senior high schools. Great idea!
You’re right – most times it’s far to complicated and overwhelming when it really doesn’t have to be. That’s why Biz in a Boxx works so well for teaching kids entrepreneurship because it doesn’t bog them down with information they don’t need. The idea is to have them learn the basic fundamentals so that they can grab their keys, get out the door and start honing these skill sets. Check it out at http://www.bizinaboxx.com.
I can see that you are an expert at your field! I am launching a website soon, and your information will be very useful for me.. Thanks for all your help and wishing you all the success in your business.
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