Why Entrepreneurship Education Now?
In the age of AI, machines are better than humans at performing specialized and repetitive tasks. It's getting harder for children to learn and maintain hard skills and knowledge that can match the pace of the emerging technology. The rapid changes in our world require children to be flexible, creative, to take initiative and lead when necessary.
No doubt that technology is the future, however, the mindset and skills required to make use of the technologies and turn the technologies into something useful are equally important. It requires the thinking and understanding of the world and many entrepreneurship skills.
According to Young People Need to Know Entrepreneurship Is Hard from Harvard Business Review,
Children who learn about entrepreneurship would become problem solvers, opportunity finders, better at communication, more persistent and more flexible and adaptable when facing obstacles.
According to Forget coding, we need to teach our kids how to dream from Economic Forum,
​
"Many thinking teaching kids to code is the solution, isn't soon software be written by software?"
Building relationships, curiosity, agility, creativity and empathy are the five key attributes children should develop because these are values at the core of who we are. These help to develop children to be robust, happy and balanced people fit to embrace the modern age.
"Schooling prioritizes knowledge above all else. Recall information was helpful until like now, where information is immediate, everywhere and abundant in this digital world."
Let the Numbers Reveal The Truth
According to The Future of Jobs from World Economic Forum,
65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in jobs that currently don't exist.
According to Forbes and The Economist,
40% of the workforce will be self- employed by 2020. 60% - 80% of new jobs created attributed to entrepreneurs.
​
"Let's raise kids to be an entrepreneur"
by Cameron Herold
The 21st Century Skills for Kids to Have
The 21st Century Skills for Kids to Have
Kids Biz Academy
Entrepreneurship education in other countries
In UK, over 20,000 primary school students run their own business in the Fiver Challenge led by the Government. Students are given £5 to start their business.
​
Entrepreneurship education is recognized as a priority at all education levels.
Photo source: Fiver Challenge
In United State, Department of Education emphasizes entrepreneurship literacy as one of the key 21st century theme.
​
5,000+ junior and middle schools run BizWorld entrepreneurship programs since 1997.
​
In Finland, entrepreneurship is a compulsory subject for primary school students.
​
Learning objectives include:
- act with a sense of entrepreneurship and initiative
- act innovatively and perseveringly in achieving a goal
Photo source: Smithsonsan
Entrepreneurial traits can be developed at an early age
Elon Musk
Co- founder & CEO, Telsa
Co- founder, SolarCity
​
Elon started his first venture selling a video game he created when he was 12 years old.
Photo source: TED
Richard Branson
Co- founder, Virgin Group
​
Richard started his first business when he was 10 years old, growing Christmas trees.
​
In his interview with The Telegraph, he suggested children should start learning entrepreneurship in primary school. Read more about his interview on The Telegraph.
Photo source: CNBC