Enterprise and Entrepreneurship A Vital Lifeskill for Next Generation

Minister for Education and Skills RuairÍ Quinn T.D.  this week acknowledged the role of DCU in revolutionising education in Ireland.

Over the last 6 years, DCU has worked with 7 other Irish Higher Education Institutes as part of the HEA-funded ACE (Accelerating Campus Entrepreneurship) Consortium, to introduce enterprise and entrepreneurship education in non-business courses.

“We all know that business students have the opportunity to learn the value of entrepreneurial thinking and behaviour. But it is also vital that those studying other disciplines such as engineering, creative industries and healthcare learn essential skills in creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. By learning to think in an entrepreneurial way, graduates are better prepared for the world of employment or self-employment” explained Dr Emer Ní Bhrádaigh of Fiontar DCU.

She and Peter Tiernan, School of Education Studies DCU successfully delivered Ireland’s first accredited post-graduate module on entrepreneurship education for the Irish higher education sector.  A total of 20 higher education academics and non-academics, each of whom was nominated by the President of his/her institution, successfully completed the level 9 10-ECTS entrepreneurship educators module accredited by DCU.

‘We delivered a highly successful blended learning module where participants took part in three on-campus workshops complemented by a series of 14 webinars and three comprehensive online learning objects through which they could learn at their own pace and in their own time.’  said Peter Tiernan. Both he and Dr Ní Bhrádaigh were heartened by the high completion rate and the variety of individual projects completed by the 20 participants from 17 HEIs around the country.