Can you teach enterprise?

In the latest essay from our series on ‘Preparing for the Future’, Claire O’Halloran from Microsoft poses the question: “Can you teach enterprise?” Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, Director of the National Entrepreneurship Observatory for Wales argues that “you can’t teach it, but you can learn it.”

What you do think?

Claire goes on to argue that developing entreprenuerial skills requires people to be open to learning and to try to think “more like an entrepreneur”. She believes that, in many cases, this is about giving people confidence.

But how do we learn these skills and gain this confidence?

Comments

[Dr David]

Of course it is possible to teach enterprise. I never wish to disagree with Dylan (indeed I probably am not) but I can't allow a statement that says we can't teach enterprise. I do it every day of my life - well almost every day!

I think there are two critical aspects here. On the one hand you need to be enterprising yourself if you are going to engage with people in an enterprising way. The more credibility you have with them the better.

My major point is that enterprise is a core human activity. It is the vehicle through which we express ourselves, and as such we need to build our interventions around a knowledge of human psychology.

The whole Microsoft story is one of human endeavour, driven by the attitudes and resulting behaviourof one Mr Gates, and his colleagues.

[Dr David]

I could respond to the title of this post with, 'Yes I can teach enterprise'. It sounds a bit like the first line of a job description!

[Dr David]

I could respond to the title of this post with, 'Yes I can teach enterprise'. It sounds a bit like the first line of a job description!

[Dr David]

I could respond to the title of this post with, 'Yes I can teach enterprise'. It sounds a bit like the first line of a job description!

[Richard Millwood]

Can I frame the conditions for learning through presenting challenge, supporting risk-taking, offering open-ended tasks, assessing through performance criteria rather than accuracy of micro-answers? YES
Can I present the facts about enterprise, invite learners to listen and write essays to re-present these facts and expect their behaviour to become enterprising? NOT LIKELY