Entrepreneurship education changing lives – an inspiring example

The growing youth population in Africa is eager for work, yet the unemployment rates of the continent’s graduates are high. The public sector cannot absorb the whole youth population, but the private sector, and especially entrepreneurship, plays a crucial role in job creation and employment.

Despite the widely recognised importance of entrepreneurship in value-addition, employment creation, and societal-wide economic prosperity, many African graduates lack the entrepreneurial skills and attitudes needed to establish and nurture a business (Monga et al., 2019, p.184). Thus, there has been an increased call and effort to include entrepreneurial training in higher and vocational education in Africa.

In this article, we reflect on the process and perceived benefits of entrepreneurship education by contrasting OECD literature with the personal experiences of the first author of this article, a Zambian innovator.

What is entrepreneurship education?

Entrepreneurship education not only lectures about entrepreneurship but also constitutes various approaches and methods that provide experiences and competencies to develop an entrepreneurial mindset (Lackéus, 2015; OECD/IDB, 2022). Lackéus (2015) categorises entrepreneurship education into three approaches: (i) teaching about entrepreneurship that provides content knowledge and theoretical understanding of entrepreneurship, (ii) teaching for entrepreneurship, which equips students with practical knowledge and skills required in entrepreneurial ventures, and (iii) teaching through entrepreneurship, that give students a process-based and experimental opportunity to learn while doing. Depending on the approach, different entrepreneurship education methods can be used, from guest lectures to workshops, to business idea contests, to online activities, and more, limited only by imagination (OECD/IDB, 2022).

The first author of this article had the opportunity to experience all three of the above-mentioned entrepreneurship education approaches. As an extracurricular activity, he participated in online training by a local company, HNM Herbs and Spices. The training emphasised teaching about and for entrepreneurship approaches, focusing on practical aspects of agricultural entrepreneurship, such as herb production, marketing, market trends, and industrial opportunities. As part of his studies, Mufwinda participated in two student challenges that were taught through entrepreneurship, i.e. giving a hands-on experience on entrepreneurship processes. Student challenge is a learning concept that brings companies and students together to solve real-life challenges for the companies (Määttänen et al., 2022). Student challenges offer opportunities to learn in a work-related context, gain valuable networks, and develop core entrepreneurial competencies.

Mufwinda’s educational path in entrepreneurship follows the trend explained by Lackéus (2015). Entrepreneurship education can induce motivation, engagement, and even joy in learning, and students interested in entrepreneurship tend to participate in elective courses and even entirely voluntary, extracurricular activities on entrepreneurship, if available, of course. Mufwinda perceives his entrepreneurship education process as overwhelming, providing him with interest and zeal to work and establish something practically, for and by himself. His attitude towards entrepreneurship changed, and he started to see it as a feasible, even attractive, career option.

Entrepreneurial education and development of personal competencies

Entrepreneurial education intersects all the core competencies of the OECD Learning Compass 2030 (2018): knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values. These can be, e.g., knowledge and understanding of finance, critical and creative thinking skills, and values and attitudes of respect and fairness. The core competencies pave the way for transformative competencies: creating new value, reconciling tensions and dilemmas, and taking responsibility (OECD, 2018). Thus, entrepreneurship education develops students’ cognitive and so-called soft skills, both being skill sets demanded not only in the entrepreneurial career path but also in the labour market in general (OECD/IDB, 2022).

Mufwinda recognises the competence development during his entrepreneurial education. The training sharpened his understanding of how businesses are practically run and provided him glimpses of the real world of work. He learned practical skills to raise capital, manage profit, and produce safe and hygienic food products. He understood the importance of networking and interacted with various agricultural industry actors, sharing ideas and notes with them, simultaneously gaining leadership and teamwork skills.

Entrepreneurship education and societal impact – a real-life example

Entrepreneurship is acknowledged as a means for job creation, economic growth, and solving local and global challenges (Lackéus, 2015; OECD/IDB, 2022). The value creation associated with entrepreneurship can relate to economic, social, or environmental value. Thus, the impacts of entrepreneurship education can go beyond individual level and monetary gains.

Mufwinda’s career path is a great example of the positive outcomes of entrepreneurship education. Inspired by the entrepreneurial mindset gained and aided by the developed competencies, he organised his fellow students from the University of Zambia and formed the UNZA Slow Food Youth Network (USYN). The network promotes active and practical learning in agriculture and recruits and trains new members annually, with the motto of” Good, clean, and fair food for everyone.” The network started with 20 members and increased to 38 students in the next year. USYN aims for environmentally friendly and climate-smart agricultural practices that enhance environmental protection. It contributes to community service by sensitising the community to the methods and benefits of organic farming (Figure 1), and by sharing meals in local orphanages and educating them about organic farming. The community work further inspired Mufwinda to form a charity foundation, the Ezra Charity Foundation, which advocates organic garden establishment in orphanages.

Mufwinda also established a company called Fresh Eats Farms, which he runs together with his former classmate Zwelithini Nkhoma. The company is expanding from herbs and spices to vegetable production, aiming to invest in larger plantations to secure larger production, become economically stable, and employ agricultural graduates.

Leveraging entrepreneurship education

Entrepreneurship education that provides students with entrepreneurial skills and attitudes and connects them to the world of work can truly create new careers and change lives. To enable this opportunity to all students, we want to pass the following greetings.

Educators, offer practical learning opportunities on entrepreneurship to students, as well as to youths who do not have the opportunity to enroll in educational institutions. Doing this can create opportunities for young people to get employed and become employers themselves. Reach and collaborate with different companies regularly and connect them to studies and students through visits, talks, mentoring, and study modules or courses.

Students, appreciate the learning opportunity you are given, be fully attentive in the training you participate in, and seek out all the opportunities to sharpen your mind. Learning does not have to be bound to educational institutions. You can improve your knowledge and skills and gain valuable contacts by, for example, participating in events and conducting online training in your free time. Challenge yourself and your mindset, and believe in yourself. Do not just wait for a job, but start something by yourself and be your own boss! Do not be stingy with the knowledge and skills you possess, but share them with others.

To everyone, being an entrepreneur is about attitude, so be ready to change your mindset. As the famous quote of the late Zig Ziglar goes: “It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that will determine your altitude.”