A new research paper has been published in the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) site. This paper discusses the role of VET in developing entrepreneurship has experienced increasing attention internationally. This research draws together international literature on teaching and learning for entrepreneurialism with the goal of informing potential Australian developments in this area.

The paper also provides a case study of the Australian Capital Territory, an entrepreneurial ecosystem, to explore the extent to which the VET system has contributed to the development of skills used by entrepreneurs in the early stages of forming new ventures.

The research points out the following key messages:

• The literature shows that the case for initiatives to promote and support the development of entrepreneurship skills is widely accepted internationally, particularly across Europe. However, many of the initiatives in place are experimental and person-driven, rather than strategic or systemic.
• The ACT case study showed that either the company founder, or a member of the founding team, had a VET qualification in about 20% of the 97 start-up organisations identified. In most cases this person also had a university degree or considerable professional experience following graduation. Aside from some recent start-ups in the digital games market, that were supported by a specific and targeted VET program, none of the interviewed VET-qualified founders considered that their VET course had provided them with entrepreneurship skills.
• The increasing importance of entrepreneurial skills in the Australian economy provides an argument for the development of these skills in at least some VET qualifications, perhaps particularly those in information technology. Examples of how a program for entrepreneurship can work in the digital games market were uncovered in the ACT case study.
• Should a broad fostering of entrepreneurial skills be seen as necessary, a more strategic response would be required. The strong regional dimension of entrepreneurship could be used to shape the development of such a strategy, engaging regional VET organisations and systems. Of course, such a strategy will need to address how entrepreneurship skills should be taught, by whom, and for whom.

For more information, visit: https://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/publications/all-publications/the-role-of-vet-in-the-entrepreneurial-ecosystem