Advising Entrepreneurial Students
8.0 What is ‘Best Practice’ in UK HEIs?
This section is based on responses from HEIs to our request for examples of good practice. It therefore does not claim to be comprehensive. However, the material received illustrates a very wide range of approaches to the need to promote enterprise and entrepreneurship.
8.1 Is there a single ‘best practice’?
8.2 Initial awareness
8.3 A lead person
8.4 Dedicated modules/units/courses
8.5 Entrepreneurial event- an example at Aston
8.6 Dedicated ‘ Enterprise Centres’ – an example at Lancaster
8.7 'Enterprise' modules - an example from Bradford
8.8 Thirteen more examples of good practice
8.9 Implications for you
8.1 Is there a single ‘best practice’?
Different HEIs are at different stages in developing entrepreneurship support for students. The process starts when an HEI becomes aware of the issue, and develops on a trail and error basis as more resources become available.
There is no single national ‘best practice’, as the conditions in each HEI are very different, but there are a number of good practices that can be identified. This document is aimed to help Career Services and Career Professionals to generate their own best practice appropriate to their own situation.
This material is based on material kindly provided by Careers Services in response to our request for examples of good practice.
The first step is to create awareness of the importance of enterprise and entrepreneurship support at all levels. It has to start with the top leadership - Vice Chancellors, Deans and the Head of Career Service and follows through to Heads of Schools, Faculties and Departments.
At the student level awareness is again the first step, and best practice involves not just helping those wishing to become entrepreneurs, but also encouraging other potential entrepreneurs to contemplate the idea.
Without awareness at the top, there will be no resources dedicated to promote and support entrepreneurs. Without awareness amongst students the support will be restricted to very few prospective entrepreneurs.
One of the most important practices seems to be having a dedicated person taking a lead in entrepreneurship in the Careers Service. It need not be a full time person; it may be a part-time role, depending on scale and size of the HEI. This person should not focus only on Business School students, or other specific faculties, but should cover all students.
8.4 Dedicated modules/units/courses
A number of HEIs run a full undergraduate taught course. In Bradford it is entitled “ Enterprise and self employment skills”; at UEA it is “Entrepreneurship and Small Business”; At Derby they teach networking and career management skills in a module entitled "Developing Entrepreneurial Networks" as part of the Enterprise Management pathway in a Combined Subjects Programme degree.
These courses are usually run widely across the HEI, not just in the management schools, and are typically spread over a semester with students studying several aspects of enterprise, including how to develop a ‘business plan’.
8.5 Entrepreneurial events - an example at Aston
Entrepreneurial events are established to encourage students of all ages to understand self employment and entrepreneurship.
A good example is an action packed day of advice and information in Aston, entitled EnterpriseFest 2006.
The day was separated into two sessions. One was dedicated to school pupils who took part in a challenging and fun business game which provided an effective way giving insight into owning their own businesses as well as being an additional teaching resource for teachers.
The other session was dedicated to students from FE and HE institutions. It had keynote speakers who were chosen for their ability to deliver inspirational presentations as well as being entrepreneurial successes. Successful former graduates were represented as well as local entrepreneurs.
This type of event can include an ‘expert panel’ Q & A session which provides an opportunity for all budding entrepreneurs to ask questions and gain advice from some of the region’s most powerful business people.
A mini exhibition can provide access to resources, and the various intervals provide excellent networking opportunities.
Such events may be for all students, or can be focussed on target populations, such as a Women Entrepreneurs event at UEA
The UEA event was arranged by the Careers Service in combination with university business school and industrial networks as a taster session for women entrepreneurs only. Keynote speaking was followed by break-out groups with students.
8.6 Dedicated ‘ Enterprise Centres’ – an example at Lancaster
When there is already awareness and resources, the HEI can aim to establish a specific centre, like they did at Lancaster University, where the Careers Service was renamed as the Centre for Employability, Enterprise & Careers (CEEC).
This is one example of several across the UK.
It is described at length to illustrate the range of activities that may be provided.
CEEC was established to champion the growth of enterprise learning and the support of entrepreneurial activities at the University for students, graduates and other stakeholders. An additional aim was to seek partnerships internal and external to support their objectives.
Activities took place over the last 12 months in order to integrate enterprise learning and related support at CEEC. Over 550 individuals have engaged with the following new activities in the last year totalling over 4,000 enterprise-related learning hours.
The centre developed and integrated a range of new core services
On a University-wide basis they integrated enterprise skills and awareness within the curriculum
They also ensured that staff were adequately trained and motivated
Performance metrics, in terms of total learning hours and individuals using services, have been reported to various public bodies including the HEFCE and the North West Development Agency
The centre helped to build strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, e.g.
Among the future projects and initiatives in-train for Autumn 2006
8.7 'Enterprise' Modules - an example from Bradford
Several HEIs now run dedicated enterprise and/or entrepreneurship modules as part of other courses. Bradford University have provided a complete module handbook of their Enterprise and Employment Skills Module. It has been running since 2004, and is aimed at a wide range of students.
The module can be downloaded
8.8 Thirteen more examples of good practice
NB: Click here for more details of these examples
a) Business awareness training at London
The Careers Group of the University of London organised a one-day training course called “Advising on Entrepreneurship” led by a Business Adviser. This was designed to introduce the key issues, procedures and resources associated with starting up a business and so allow careers staff to better understand the current landscape for graduate entrepreneurs, to ask the right questions and to refer students to the most appropriate resources. This course was extremely well attended, both by The Careers Group staff and staff of other university careers services.
b) Student enterprise at Cardiff
At Cardiff University, entrepreneurship initiatives are not run by the Careers Service but
by the Research and Commercial Division.
Students can access a range of services through Student Enterprise, including information, workshops and business mentoring. They have a specific web page: www.cardiff.ac.uk/studententerprise and offer a series of workshops including areas such as
c) YOMP – a national challenge
Yomping the Nations is an annual national enterprise challenge, open to students of all disciplines. The Yomping the Nations competition is based around Yomp - a business strategy tool that simulates the growth of a business and is based on years of research from universities and businesses.
d) The NCGE Flying Start Rally
The NCGE Flying Start Rally brings together the mentors, experts, business support agencies and funders to help students and graduates realise their entrepreneurial dreams. It provides a challenging and motivating one day event for students and recent graduates who are interested in becoming an entrepreneur. With motivational speakers, interactive sessions, practical advice and entrepreneurial experts on hand to give you advice, you'll get what you need to make a flying start!
e) Business support in Wales
The BOS project is open to any young person in Wales between the ages of 18-30.
The project has a dedicated support team to guide students and graduates through the process and helps prepare people for self employment by providing:
There is further information at www.bos1830.co.uk
f) Graduating to Enterprise in Wales
Graduating to Enterprise(G2E) provides support, professional mentoring and workshops specifically for students and recent graduates ready to start up their own business.
Further information at www.g2e.co.uk
g) Knowledge Exploitation Fund (KEF) in Wales
KEF runs an Entrepreneurship Scholarship Scheme which provides support to graduates that are setting up in business. The Programme has been developed to support knowledge-based business start-up ideas from recent graduates (within last 3 years) of FE and HE institutions who wish to establish a business in Wales.
Business proposals should show a fresh perspective and a real commitment to making their business work. Successful applicants receive a personal allowance of £144 per week for up to 36 weeks (up to £5,184) to enable them to devote their time to developing their business.
h) Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE)
SIFE gives students the opportunity to bring together enterprise and ethics. The emphasis is on a business approach to developing projects that make a sustainable difference in the community. Students will use their skills and knowledge in the real world, carrying out work with the local community. Students will also be able to initiate and sustain enterprising projects gaining experience in leadership and teamwork. There are fourteen Universities participating 2005/2006 across the UK. SIFE aims to help others develop work-related skills, which will enhance their employability or enable them to start new enterprises. Visit www.sifeuk.org to find out more about SIFE
i) Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre at Birmingham
At Birmingham, they have a specialist centre for Entrepreneurship that is based within the Business School called the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre - EIC.
The Careers Centre has worked closely with the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre and has collaboratively run something called the Enterprise Skills Series. This is a programme of events running weekly (Thursday afternoons) during the autumn term, and introduces students to a range of issues within the Entrepreneurship field. The aim of the programme is to help students who are thinking about starting their own business understand how to progress with their ideas, and to introduce them to the key facts that they should be aware of when planning to strike out on their own. The past two year’s programmes have included sessions as follows: (Most are run by employers who kindly donated their time to the programme).
‘Pitch Idol’ –a session to help students understand how to format and sell their ideas to broadcasters
j) An Enterprise Team at Newcastle
The Careers Service at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne has an Enterprise Team within the Service, which is responsible for promoting and embedding enterprise and entrepreneurship within the student body.
They also have a scheme were students are employed part-time as Enterprise Interns, acting in effect as additional support staff and peer to peer marketers for enterprise. The aims of the project are to implement a scheme that employs enterprising students part-time to act as role models, ambassadors and marketers for enterprise.
The outcomes from the project include:
Example of outcomes include: a rise in enterprise registrations from 532 to 1,946 students; 6 requests for Interns to present in lectures, 2 interns move into business start-up and 3 gain employment in ‘enterprise’ related businesses, increased relations with Students Union and 2 HEIs adopt Intern scheme.
k) Self-employment workshops at Manchester Metropolitan
MMU runs workshops each term on "Self Employment and Freelancing - Have You Got What It Takes?"
The workshops start by getting the students to work in pairs to itemise why they want to work for themselves, and to reflect on what makes entrepreneurs successful. Basic action planning is then introduced by asking them to consider whether they can cope with: -
There follows input about the role of business agencies and some of the basic business aspects that the students need to be considering. The workshops last, in total, just short of two hours plus questions.
The handout is taken from a workshop which was developed through BEST (Business Enterprise Support Team) which was originally set up by the University of Salford and financed through ESF. It was a brilliant programme which achieved significant brand awareness amongst the students and still provides a very useful approach to the current work in the MMU Business School's Centre for Enterprise. See also the workshop presentation.
l) 'Start up' and 'Leadership' programmes at Leeds
i) Leeds believe that they are unique in having a business start up facility (complete with incubation space) fully integrated into the Careers Centre. The rationale for doing this is to place graduate start-up firmly alongside all other legitimate career options for the students. Linked to this is a business start up programme called 'SPARK'. See flyer
(ii) The 'International Corporate Leadership Programme' (a level 3 module) has been successfully delivered by the Careers Centre into the Engineering Faculty for five years now. It successfully combines themes of leadership, personal and career development and enterprise. One of the pieces of assessment is a group business pitching exercise. See handbook
m) Self Employment Virtual module at UCE Birmingham
Because many of the UCE students are looking at working in the creative industries the phrase that most of them understand is ‘self employment’. Approx 3% of their graduates go into self employment, and anecdotally UCE know that many more take this option in subsequent years
UCE Birmingham had a unit ‘The Idea Works’ specifically set up to advise and support students and graduates on self employment and enterprise opportunities. Unfortunately this was closed down as a result of a change of direction and limited resources. However the Careers Service have filled the gap with a self-employment module within 'Personal Development Planning' (PDP) which is delivered to 24,000 students on 8 sites via their Virtual learning Environment (Moodle)
Because it was written by their own team the information, contacts and interest is retained by the Careers Service which is a very valuable added bonus.
There are a huge number of possibilities for you to explore. Whatever your current situation, there ought to be some ideas in this section which you can adapt and implement in your own HEI. Even if you are a small Careers Service, with limited resources, there will be things that you can do take small steps in the right direction. If you are a larger service you will hopefully be inspired to seek the resources to emulate some of the excellent practices elsewhere.