Name of the original practice to be transferred
Entrepreneur’s Skills Certificate
Specific context where the practice has already been implemented/ applied
The Entrepreneur’s Skills Certificate® goes back to an initiative of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and is offered as a supplementary qualification from grade eight in school. Since the start of the programme in 2004 more than 73.500 students and young adults participated in ESC® online tests in Austria and abroad. ESC® certificates are being in great demand by business and the school system as well. An entrepreneurial mindset and well-established knowledge and competencies about economic relations are of vital concern to business locations, to companies, to educational institutions. The ESC® embraces all steps that are required for an establishment of an extracurricular training programme – starting with teacher training modules, a learning platform via Moodle, micro learning, text books and standardized online assessments.
Conditions of the original practice
Motivated young people can make use of the provision offered by their school as early as lower secondary level to obtain a basic knowledge of business with the Entrepreneur’s Skills Certificate®. That leads to a positive and entrepreneurial attitude to economic subjects. The Entrepreneur’s Skills Certificate® gives school students a sought-after key qualification: those who have qualified in the modules have an advantage in business and on the job market in comparison to others, be it when applying for a holiday job or a practice placement, entering the world of work or further studies. The certificates represent confirmation of a high level of commitment and independent initiative, a better understanding of business as well as the study of basic national economic and business management relationships.
Structures of the original practice
Sound business and financial knowledge and entrepreneurial skills have therefore become a self-evident part of general education to an even greater extent in recent years. Today’s challenges can be met if we have well educated citizens with an entrepreneurial spirit to think in new ways, who are innovative and able to create jobs in a dynamic economy. This will require young people who are willing to become entrepreneurs OR who will become innovators in the wider organizations in which they work. Education is the key to shaping attitudes, skills and culture. It is vital to address Entrepreneurship Education from an early age.
The Entrepreneur’s Skills Certificate consists of the following three basic modules:
Modul A: The basic module deals with fundamental economic connections, which show students how the world of work functions and what they need to be successful. Other topics include the economic cycle, the roles played by the government and banks, trade, strategic corporate decisions from planning, organising and producing to sales, marketing, pricing, generating customer loyalty and the opportunities and risks of being self-employed. The target group is 14 year-olds and older.
Modul B: This module for advanced students looks at the national economy. The topics covered include gross social and gross national product, business activity and economic growth, money and monetary value, the budget and fiscal policy. The responsibilities of the state, the cornerstones of the global economy and Austria’s economic development since the 1950s are also dealt with. The target group for this course is 15 year-olds and older.
Modul C: The last of these three developmental modules concentrates entirely on business administration. Students learn to develop and implement business ideas, to identify gaps in the market and to occupy them successfully. They also learn the esentials of product, pricing and distribution policy as well as marketing and advertising. Cooperation with others – other companies, staff – is also on the agenda. Basic legal issues, such as employment law, social insurance, patent protection and the protection of patterns and designs etc., and communication in day to day business life compete the programme. The target group for this course is 16 year-olds and older.
Each module course ends with an online examination in any school or testing center that is authorised for this purpose.
Suggestions on how these will transfer to the new context
The original learning material of the Entrepreneur’s Skills Certificate is in German Therefore textbooks and contents of the learning platform need translation. In addition, the testing system will have to be adapted to the national language as well.
If available, give us a link where we can find additional information on this practice in English