Robert what do you think about entrepreneurship as the subject at school?
RIn my opinion entrepreneurship gives pupils enormous possibility of development their creativity, defending their points of view, communication skills and management opportunities. Nowadays a lot of institutions – public and private try to start cooperation within those secondary schools who are running entrepreneurship. Institutions’ support schools within different actions – Art and Science Festival; Entrepreneurship Day and during pupils’ local competences. Institutions’’ representatives often visit our pupils with interesting lectures.
You are organizing a lot of events and competitions for pupils – how do you estimate pupils’ engagement into those actions?
Pupils engagement of course depends on individual human being – but in general I can see that pupils’ competitions and entrepreneurship’s events give them the chance to develop their interest and checking their ideas. Sometimes I feel that this is their first step into their real company in future. Our pupils are taking part in various competitions – from local competitions from the area of business plans till the real product/service prototypes during national competitions from entrepreneurship. Also I should mention about parents’ engagement – they support their children, motivate them to action – sometimes helping by advising.
How do you evaluate our project Find your inner inventor realized within Erasmus+ Programme – strategic partnerships?
Not only pupils were interested in Find your inner inventor realized within Erasmus+ Programme – strategic partnerships but also their parents. They were very content and proud that their children took part in international project – the same one as pupils from Czech Republic and Island. Their motivation were raising from lecture to lecture. The programme was very interesting for them, especially they had a chance of lectures with real academic teachers. They had a small possibility to feel like real students in some parts of lectures. For them it was inspiring and motivating them to start working harder and harder on their business plans. The programme was ideally adjusted to school’s education requirements and developed those areas, which were important and interesting for pupils due to business plans and entrepreneurship’s competitions. They regret that the programme had only 15 hours. The project had also positive and motivating influence on school’s authorities. Next year they are planning to start cooperation with Czech and Slovak schools and universities and in future prepare their own project developing entrepreneurship.
Have you chance to notice that training programme knowledge was used in pupils’ business plans?
Pilot training programme from one side was focused on creativity but it also supported pupils with practical tools how to create the real pan for your company. I could see a lot of real information from particular lectures and some of definition/statements in their business plans. It was also incredible that some of pupils – due to practical case studies and exercises during pilot training – overcame their barriers and weaknesses.
During the final conference almost twenty business plans were presented. How do you evaluate their quality?
Yes the competition was amazing – not only for pupils but also for schools’ authorities. Higher number of teams prepared their business plans – but together with school authorities’ we undertook the decision that only the completed and the best ones will be presented during the conference. Of course it was very stressful for all of them – but I could see that some of programme’s workshops from auto-presentation and communication helped them a lot. The quality of their business plans was very balanced and it was hard to choose the best ones.
What are your recommendations for institutions who would like to support entrepreneurship within young people?
Schools – not only in our city, region but also abroad – should support children, teenagers in their creativity and raising their competences in defending their ideas and points of view. Entrepreneurship should be the subject introduces and run from the beginning of their education path – primary school. Of course during the regular lectures we have to less time to answer all questions and support young entrepreneurs. It means that each school should undertake all efforts to prepare educational projects focused on developing pupils essential and crucial competences. I recommend them Erasmus+ Programme – as it is open for new ideas, strength cooperation within various institutions and open the minds for new possibilities.
Thank you for interview!