Can entrepreneurs be
created? Well, as they said, some basic entrepreneur skills can be
taught, but can they really craft people out to be one?
One thing also, do they specialize in some other courses? Having a
cert in Enterpreneuring doesn't get one into industries that
require proper qualification, like engineering, IT, accounting, to
name a few.
Extracted from the straits
times
SEPT 1, 2003
Business whiz degrees in hot demand
Four years ago, there were none; now, there are 6 degree courses in
Singapore that focus on how to be an entrepreneur
By Lee Su Shyan
COMPANIES CORRESPONDENT
FORGET the idea that businessmen are born, not made - Singaporeans
are flocking to sign up for degree courses teaching them how to
become entrepreneurs.
One such course has seen up to a fivefold surge in the number of
students signing up. And to meet the growing demand, more
educational institutions are jumping on the bandwagon to offer
these degree programmes.
Four years ago, there were none in Singapore. Now, there are up to
half a dozen such specialised degrees.
However, the surge in interest is not simply because Singaporeans
are keen to take the academic path to becoming business
whizes.
Many sign up not in the hope of becoming entrepreneurs, but to get
an edge over others in the tight job market, say course
organisers.
'Even large organisations need people who can think like
entrepreneurs,' says Mr Stephen Jones, a director of studies at the
University of Wales which has teamed up with the Management
Development Institute of Singapore to offer a Bachelor of Science
in entrepreneurship and management.
When they launched the degree course in 2000, it was among the
first - if not, the first - of its kind in Singapore, and attracted
only 20 students in the initial intake.
But now, three years later, with a 'growing awareness of such
courses', another 130 students have signed up for the
programme.
The Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) has just this year
launched its Bachelor of Business in business administration
course, specialising in entrepreneurship. The degree is awarded by
Melbourne's RMIT University.
An SIM spokesman says: 'There has been heightened interest in
entrepreneurship among our students.' There are currently 63
students enrolled in the SIM course.
Listed education group Hartford Institute of Management has joined
the fray, launching a Bachelor of Arts programme in business and
entrepreneurship this year. The degree is awarded by Britain's
University of Huddersfield. The response has been good, according
to its director, Mr Steve Lee, who did not give any figures.
While some might argue that being a go-getting businessman is
something that cannot be taught, the schools beg to differ. They
say that some entrepreneurship skills can be learned.
Mr Lee argues, for example, that 'behavioural aspects associated
with entrepreneurship, like change, innovation and creativity,
certainly can be honed by education and training'.
Another trait that can be developed is risk-taking. University of
Wales' Mr Jones admits that 'some people don't go to the university
and can still be quite creative'.
But others may not be natural risk-takers.
'So one way of encouraging them to think entrepreneurially is to
give them examples of problems and ask how they would solve them.
There's no threat as your job is not on the line,' he adds.
As well, to be a successful entrepreneur is not just about having a
great idea.
Ms Goh Ai Yat, a lecturer who handles the entrepreneurship module
for the RMIT course, says: 'What we try to do is to convert the
idea into an opportunity. This can come about only if you have done
a market survey on whether it can be commercialised. Students have
to learn how to do a business plan.'
And she feels that her students benefit because she is an
entrepreneur herself - she runs a training consultancy.
Even if students do not end up as entrepreneurs, the schools
believe that the skills taught are increasingly relevant for all
workers.
Hartford's Mr Lee says: 'More companies today are placing greater
importance on issues like business development, creation of new
subsidiaries and business spin-offs.'
When firms retrench, those who can generate revenue for their
companies are less likely to be laid off, he says.
'Entrepreneurial activity is simply not limited to the 'hero
entrepreneur' model - that is, individuals setting out to set up
their own business ventures,' he notes.
Indeed, Mr Jones says: 'Many of our students study banking. As a
banker, you have entrepreneurs coming to you for, say, approval of
loans. If you've studied the challenges facing entrepreneurs, you
become a better banker.'
The profile of students taking the courses ranges from middle to
senior management employees from the public sector as well as
multinational companies.
Ms Goh agrees that some students take up the course because they
'feel the limitations of the job market, and they need to equip
themselves with more relevant skills'.
But do the courses produce entrepreneurs? The jury is still out as
many students have not graduated.
Ms Goh says her current batch of students are at the moment
incorporating a company to start up a 'soup' cafe.
And Mr Jones says three students who graduated nearly two years ago
have set up a business offering expedition trips for school
students.
He says: 'They've organised trips for students overseas, so they
had to be accredited and insured. Not only have they found enough
work for themselves, they have also created employment for 10 other
people.'
Copyright @ 2003 Singapore Press Holdings. All rights
reserved.