Domain: Entrepreneurial education
Action: Improve innovation and entrepreneurial curricula
Best practice title: Educator and Mentor Academies
Best practice summary: The Academies enhance the capabilities of faculty and mentors to provide cutting edge entrepreneurship education and venture support
By whom: EIT Food
Key ingredients / description: This action responded to the low number of well-trained entrepreneurship educators and skilled mentors active in the agrifood sector. Leveraging experts in entrepreneurial learning, the educator academy developed a sector-specific certified course for educators with a STEM background to build the competences to introduce entrepreneurial aspects in innovative teaching and learning practices, and to be able to play a prominent role in the development of entrepreneurial competences in students. The programme professionalises educator communities by building competences to deliver quality entrepreneurship education within the curriculum embedding an entrepreneurial culture within teaching and to link this to wider policy priorities; also, to develop the ability to inspire, facilitate and foster entrepreneurial thinking in learners. The Mentor Academy supports coaches and mentors supporting entrepreneurial competence development and business creation/growth. This is a certified course that sets clear standards for coaching and mentoring and ensures a professionalisation of support services for entrepreneurial activity in the agrifood sector.
Context (if applicable): University, Business mentors
Audiences (if applicable): Faculty, Business mentors
Documents (if any): NA
Links (if any):
Key success factors / How to replicate: EntreComp as the basis for faculty and mentor development to create a robust framework; the latest insights in entrepreneurship education, particularly focusing on how to embed sustainability impact at the heart of new ventures; using the latest insights in venture growth based on big data.
Contact person: Barbara Mason, b.p.mason@reading.ac.uk
Keywords (at least 5): Entrepreneurship education, Mentoring, Certification, EntreComp