Abstract:
Entrepreneurship is an emerging focus in secondary schools as we reimagine how we prepare students for a future of work in a world which is changing rapidly in difficult to predict directions. The Victorian Tech Schools (technology resource centres providing programs and support to local schools with a design thinking ethos) have been established with this specific challenge in mind and have developed a variety of programs to introduce entrepreneurship education to their students, teachers, and local community in collaboration with local industries and start-ups. The relative independence of the Tech Schools has fostered the growth of a series of innovative initiatives in entrepreneurship education. We report on a survey of these initiatives based on interviews with Tech Schools directors, facilitators, and external providers who work in partnership with Tech Schools. Our findings show a wide variety of approaches to entrepreneurship education are being developed in Tech Schools in Victoria. Within this diversity there are some emerging themes. The first is that learning of entrepreneurship should arise from experiential learning experiences. The Tech School programs have been built around experiential learning, notably the design thinking model which underpins programs. Our analysis of Tech School programs shows that for secondary school students, design-thinking based programs are an important grounding for all students. Tech Schools have enabled students, in collaboration with external start-up organisations, to provide spaces for students to learn about entrepreneurship. The Tech School Initiative also highlights the opportunities of authentic industry and community sourced challenges and examples to engage students and provide a problems space which can generate innovation. The pitching of solutions back to industry partners is a powerful motivation for entrepreneurial students. Thus, the Tech Schools provide models of innovation in STEM and Entrepreneurship education in secondary schools that respond creatively to the local needs and opportunities.