With a crop of “go-to” #EntEd reports coming out, there is focus upon the current and future needs of students/graduates, the impact of the pandemic on entrepreneurship, and how we, as educators, can support others to innovate sustainably.

Firstly the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM 21/22) is reporting significantly increased levels of entrepreneurship in the UK, and across the world, as entrepreneurs harness the pandemic to present new opportunities for growth.   The GEM report recommendations focus, as many reports do, on the need for access to finance and investment as a priority but also highlight for the UK the need to ease the burdens relating to Brexit to enable new entrepreneurs to thrive.

GEM also recognises that entrepreneurs are increasingly delivering solutions to environmental and societal challenges, linking to the QAA subject companion guide on education for sustainable development (launched last year) as well as the newly released (Jan ‘22) GreenComp.

EEUK Associates will know EntreComp which has become an increasingly key part of the QAA guidance (2018) for those seeking to explicitly identify the competences that they are building with students, or wishing to articulate clear learning outcomes and develop assessment rubrics; they may be less aware of the wider work that now supports EntreComp or that both ‘comp’ frameworks form part of a “library” of wider work competences, including LifeComp and DigComp. With LifeComp forming an overarching vision, each subset (DigComp, GreenComp.  EntreComp) allowing you to draw on specific or more detailed competences as necessary.

In addition, there are new “fostering” guides out, which outline five key actions towards a digital, green and resilient Europe through a guide for fostering women’s entrepreneurship and a guide for fostering entrepreneurship education.

In addition, graduate employability has been picked up within the What do graduates do? 21/21  (JISC/AGCAS) while our partner organisation AGCAS has also joined ISE, handshake and sector-leading WONKHE to look at the shape of Careers Services within the new Careers2032 report highlighting the need for personalised and hybrid support.

And finally, EEUK needs your help as there is an opportunity to comment on specific proposals for changes within the KEF, commenting on the future direction of travel for the KEF dashboard design and narrative through the KEF2.  Join us to shape a response to the  KEF options survey (open until 28 April 2022) –  share your views to amplify our voice!

Alison Price
Head of Policy and Professional Development
EEUK