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This article explores how conceptualizing "the moment" in entrepreneurship contributes to understanding entrepreneurial processes of learning and creativity. The significance of "the aha moment" in entrepreneurial behaviour is widely used at a popular level but has not been well explored in relation to knowledge of human learning. The "moment" is taken to be a point in time when we experience conscious mental awareness of what is going on and are able to generate meaning from this awareness, and to remember our thinking and responses. The aims of the article are: (a) to explore the connections between the concept of the moment in entrepreneurship and processes of learning and creativity; (b) to develop a framework that can be used to understand momentary perspectives in entrepreneurship; and (c) to explore the implications for entrepreneurial education and practice. (contains 3 tables and 2 figures.)

Business Inspiration was a short, action-centred leadership and innovation development programme designed for owners and managers of smaller firms to address business survival and repositioning needs arising from the UK's economic downturn. The article examines the design and delivery of Business Inspiration and the impact of the programme on participants' learning experiences. It also assesses whether there are transferable lessons to be learned for the development of small firms in general. The article contributes new insights to the debate and the literature on owner-manager development in small firms. The authors propose that there is continuing need and demand for such learning. They examine the requirements for public-sector investment and for specific approaches and skill sets in designing, marketing and delivering effective programmes of this type. (Contains 5 tables.)

Purpose: International postgraduate education in business-related subjects has grown substantially in the UK. Both MBA and specialist Masters' programmes increasingly offer entrepreneurship as a core or option. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in meeting the expectations and motivations of international postgraduate students. Design/methodology/approach: The authors explored four questions through a survey of international students participating in entrepreneurship courses in two Business Schools: What is the typical profile of the international students' prior education and work experience? What do students expect from studying an entrepreneurship PG course in the UK? What are their experiences of, and learning outcomes from, the entrepreneurship course? What benefits regarding their skills and knowledge do they perceive result from participation? Findings: The results confirm that career development is a major motivator for international study in the UK. Entrepreneurship can help to address cultural tensions between postgraduate students' expectations and their experiences of UK business education. Practical implications: Suggestions are offered for educators on the effective design and delivery of entrepreneurship for international students in the rapidly changing and competitive postgraduate market. Social implications: Cultural integration, learning effectiveness and linguistic capability need to be addressed in designing learning programmes for international students. Originality/value: The paper contributes new evidence to the debate on meeting the career expectations and motivations of international postgraduate students participating in entrepreneurship education, especially in the light of new curricular guidance and UK government regulation. (Contains 5 figures and 2 tables.)

Purpose: Although the assessment of enterprise education activities has been widely highlighted as a key area of concern, it continues to be under represented in the literature. Questions remain as to how educators seeking to monitor student progression can capture quality data and measure relevant aspects of development, often leading enterprise education to be monitored rather than assessed. This article seeks to explore the challenges of assessing enterprise education in the secondary education sector. It aims to provide useful insights to help practitioners understand how to evidence the impact of enterprise learning by students. Design/methodology/approach: The paper first presents a critical review of the existing literature with insights from specialist practitioners sourced through an online survey and a seminar. This provides a broad review of the field from a practitioner standpoint focusing on current assessment techniques and standards. Using these data a conceptual pedagogy is proposed for the delivery of enterprise education and a methodology for its assessment, to be developed in future work. Findings: A critical review of the assessment of enterprise education is presented. This exposes challenges of a confused field, with pockets of good practice in schools often not shared or understood out of context. The development of a novel pedagogical model for teaching enterprise education is proposed, linked to a prototype assessment methodology which presents a new approach for enterprise teaching and learning. Research limitations/implications: The work is limited at this stage since participants in the research were drawn from one geographic area in the East of England, and examples of qualifications reviewed were not exhaustive, but these limitations can be addressed in future research. Practical implications: The paper provides a conceptual model for structuring enterprise education which may have relevance across the secondary sector and beyond. Originality/value: The article investigates the problems of assessing enterprise in secondary education, examining what does and does not work, and providing practitioners with useful guidance. In this important topic it is vital that new approaches are developed which can create a broader debate especially at a time of such great change in the educational landscape. This paper provides a platform for further development in the field. (Contains 3 figures, 3 tables, and 2 notes.)

The Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education (SPEED) project ran in 12 higher education institutes in the UK between 2006 and 2008, providing an innovative, action learning-based route that enabled students to start new business ventures as self-started work experience, and has influenced successor programmes. The paper addresses three questions: (1) What is known about action learning and entrepreneurial learning in relation to new venture creation? (2) What can the case of SPEED add to our understanding of the conceptual and practical connections between entrepreneurial learning and action learning? (3) What can be achieved through universities working collaboratively to make a significant and coordinated impact on graduate entrepreneurship by using action learning as a mediating means? It connects action learning with theories of new venture creation and entrepreneurial learning, with reference to relevant literature showing increasing evidence of innovative practices of action learning within entrepreneurship education. It reflects on the experience of creating and running the SPEED programme as an innovative multi-higher education institute project and explores the processes of action learning for educators and student entrepreneurs. It develops a conceptual model of entrepreneurial action learning as a transferable approach in relation to new venture creation. Recommendations for future development of this approach in the new economic era of 2009 and beyond are proposed, since it is increasingly clear that graduate self-employment and entrepreneurship must contribute to educational and economic development. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

The "entrepreneurial university" is considered a desirable and achievable goal, but how do universities become entrepreneurial? The role of the enterprising academic in stimulating cultural change is often overlooked. This article presents as a case study the teaching team at the University of Derby, UK, who "acted as entrepreneurs" for five years to stimulate enterprising learning across the university. The analysis provides insights into cultural change in a modern regional university. The authors explore three questions: how can a university develop an entrepreneurial culture, how can entrepreneurial teachers stimulate cultural change, and are there general learning points to be gained from the experience at the University of Derby? The process of developing an enterprising culture in a university is examined by tracing the organizational, pedagogical, systemic and behavioural changes and conflicts that arose. The authors examine the impact on a higher education institution of five years of significant growth in enterprise learning from a zero base, including the development of an enterprise curriculum, innovative learning methods, funded projects for student and community entrepreneurship, practice-based research and the formation of networks of educators, practitioners and influencers. They conclude with an account of the "Energizing Enterprise Education" staff development event for the team and the university. The paper highlights the significance of the values, skills and methods of an entrepreneurial teaching team as crucial factors in the cultural change process and in addressing the inevitable conflict with the "base culture". (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the possible implications for graduate employability of the economic changes which are affecting the UK in the wake of the "credit crunch". It explores the changing economic context and its implications both for HEIs and for graduates starting their careers. Design/methodology/approach: The article uses current surveys and analysis of the graduate employment market, the labour market and the economy in general to identify and comment on possible trends and scenarios. Findings: There appear to be variations between general media coverage of "the state of the UK economy", which tend to emphasise bad news and survey data, which suggest that the outlook for graduate career prospects and employability remains reasonably strong. The article comments on the increasing connections between enterprise and employability which are being made by universities and summarises current developments in graduate employability and enterprising learning in order to assess how well-prepared graduates are for the emerging economic environment, and the associated implications for HEIs and educators. Practical implications: The article has practical implications for enterprise educators and careers and employability professionals within universities as well as for students. It recommends that graduates need a higher level of economic literacy in order to make informed career changes in the changing economic context. A proposal for further research to explore the topic is suggested. Originality/value: The article is intentionally speculative and aims to inform the discussion on the changing nature of graduate employability and enterprise in the context of rapid economic changes. (Contains 1 table.)

The development of entrepreneurial management skills by owner-managers of existing small firms has been neglected in comparison with the attention paid to new venture entrepreneurs. However, the survival and growth of small firms is vital in regional economic development. Many small businesses are vulnerable in the period after start-up, or when faced with changes in the market, competition or technology. This article explores an innovative approach to the development of owner-managers of small firms through the "Achieving Business Focus" programme, which is based on entrepreneurial learning rather than training perspectives. The article summarizes the relevant literature to distinguish between training and learning approaches to owner-manager development. The development of an innovative approach to opportunity-centred entrepreneurial learning is described, including its objectives, design, structure, marketing, delivery and use of technology, and the partnership between the university and the private-sector delivery team. The author addresses four key questions. How can an effective intervention be designed and delivered to enable owner-managers to develop their entrepreneurial management capabilities? How can this be delivered effectively by a university to meet the expectations of Regional Economic Development agencies, entrepreneurs, the university and other stakeholders? How can the impact be evaluated? What are the transferable lessons for developing, delivering and sustaining this type of intervention? (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure. ABF evaluation tables are appended.) [This article was produced by IP Publishing Ltd., London, UK.]

Purpose: This paper aims to demonstrate the rationale for connecting enterprise education with employability and career development in the design of curricula and learning experiences within UK higher education. Design/methodology/approach: The paper reflects on the experiences of practitioners, including the author, in embedding enterprise education and in seeking to develop a holistic approach which connects enterprise and employability through personal and career development. Findings: The article presents "connected" models of individual learning and of the institutional integration of enterprise, personal and career development. These are located within a critique of existing approaches to graduate employability, including examples of innovative practices. Research limitations/implications: The article builds on the early experiences of connecting graduate enterprise and employability in the UK and proposes that further research is required as the field develops in experience and complexity. Practical implications: The article provides models, strategies and examples of effective practices for embedding enterprise and employability in higher education. Originality/value: The article is innovative at a conceptual level in arguing for a "connected" and holistic approach to employability and enterprise development for students and graduates. (Contains 2 figures.)

Purpose: Recent research on entrepreneurship education has emphasised school, college and university students, with less attention being paid to entrepreneurial learning among people in older age groups. However the ageing population of the UK and other developed countries means that there is a need for an increasing proportion of the existing working population, from a broad social and demographic background, to develop entrepreneurial skills in mid-career in order to find new opportunities for economic activity and to extend their working lives. This goal requires better understanding of the learning needs and processes of mid-career entrepreneurs MCEs between the ages of 35 and 55. This article aims to enhance the understanding of mid-career entrepreneurial learning by exploring how and why people develop entrepreneurial skills in mid-career, how these skills are deployed in working on opportunities, what types of learning are most effective, and conclusions for the design of MCE learning experiences. Design/Methodology/Approach: A research method was used with emergent MCEs participating in a postgraduate entrepreneurship module. This evaluated learning, skill acquisition and practice to inform both learner and educator. Findings: This paper explores the types of opportunities identified and the learning methods used. It proposes implications for mid-career learners based on a framework for entrepreneurial learning, in the context of the broader perspectives of mid-career and mid-life change and development. It develops a career stage model for entrepreneurship, and discusses the implications for the design of learning programmes for MCEs. Research Limitations/Implications: MCEs have enhanced lifelong and work-based learning and experience compared with younger people, but display great variety in their aspirations, work and career experience, educational attainment, ethnic and national diversity, and participation in social networks. The article proposes ways of enhancing mid-career entrepreneurial learning. Originality/Value: This paper makes a distinctive contribution to the understanding of entrepreneurial learning in a significant age group.

Explores how entrepreneurial capability and identity are learned in the creative and media industries. This sector is of growing social and economic importance, and the majority of its employment and commercial activity takes place within small businesses. However, entrepreneurship in the creative industries and the related development of entrepreneurial skills are not well understood, and ?mainstream? approaches cannot be assumed to be effective, therefore the development of a learning model is potentially valuable. Proposes a conceptual framework of entrepreneurial learning in the creative and media sector, based on a social learning perspective. This highlights the processes of entrepreneurial learning and identity formation, and features a triadic model with three major themes. Proposes a group of related sub-themes and provides a set of reflective questions to assist in practical application of the model by educationalists, students and emerging entrepreneurs. Outlines the potential applications of the model in education and entrepreneurship development within and beyond the creative industries.

This paper describes an approach called opportunity centred learning that has been developed by the author and applied in the field of enterprise education. The relationship between opportunity centred learning and existing theory and practice in learning and education is outlined in comparison with problem-based learning and action learning, and the process for using it is described. An example of the type of mind-maps adopted and a short case study illustrate the approach. The conclusions and implications for educational practice including the benefits and limitations of opportunity centred learning are outlined, together with proposed recommendations for further development in emerging areas of enterprise education. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)