Transcript THINK ENTREPRENEURS: A Call to Action

THINK ENTREPRENEURS:
A Call to Action
Integrating Entrepreneurship
into the Public Workforce System
Throughout America
This report was made possible through
Grant # MI-17624-08-60-A-39 from the
Department of Labor/ Employment
Training Administration
The Consortium for
Entrepreneurship Education
www.entre-ed.org
National Organization bringing Together
Educational Agencies and Leaders To Build
the Field of Entrepreneurship Education
The Consortium for
Entrepreneurship Education
Mission: Accelerating Entrepreneurship Everywhere!
• Website to provide resources for teachers www.entre-ed.org
• Newsletter and e-Magazine – Future CEO Stars featuring
benefits of programs offered by members www.fcsmag.com
• National FORUM/Conference to provide professional development for
teachers/program designers – November- Norfolk – Nov. 6-10,2009
• National Content Standards released June 2004
• National Standards of Practice released in June 2006
• Leading education partner of annual National Entrepreneurship
Week February 20 – February 27, 2010 www.nationalEweek.com
Helping Create a
Pipeline of
Entrepreneurs Everywhere

The Future Entrepreneurs are in our Schools today

The Aspiring Entrepreneurs are everywhere in our
education system and in our workplaces

The Start-up Entrepreneur needs specific skills, training,
mentoring and guidance toward successful practices

All Entrepreneurs need the opportunity to problem solve
with other entrepreneurial minded business persons

A successful USA Entrepreneurial Pipeline requires a
Life-Long Entrepreneurial Learning Approach!
Consortium for
Entrepreneurship Education

Received a grant to look at the Public Workforce
System and determine how self-employment
and entrepreneurship options could be
enhanced as services to the unemployed

Focus on helping One-Stop Center staff see
person’s “dreams rather than just a job!”

CEE appreciates the opportunity to examine the
system and make recommendations for
reinforcing opportunities for the many
unemployed in our society in 2009 and the
future
Benefits to Consortium








Developed visibility within the Workforce Community and shared the
resources of our Consortium members
Created a Framework for Entrepreneurship for the training community
Developed Tools for organizations to use with aspiring entrepreneurs
Gained the opportunity to share Consortium capabilities at DOL expense
at several workforce conferences
Networked and developed relationships with many people who can be
assets to the Consortium
Gained knowledge of how the WIS works and can advise both workforce
sector and education sector as to greater partnerships
Developed case studies of effective practices occurring around the
nation in the Workforce Investment System
Focused the thinking of DOL policy makers on the fact that all WIS
leaders need to Think Entrepreneurs if we are to have an
entrepreneurial pipeline to self sufficiency throughout our
nation!
The 2008 Gallup World Poll
Discovered …

“What the whole world now wants is a ‘good job’”

Earlier those surveyed reported they desired love,
money, food, shelter, safety, and/or peace as paramount

“Good Job” is evolving also because the social contract
between big companies and employees has changed –
people are now sacrificing old certainties for new risks
and opportunities in their own hands
The Changing State
of the Economy

Unemployment in the United States is at a 26year high (9.8 percent in September 2009), as
businesses seek to survive by cutting jobs

The majority of job losses have occurred in
large companies, with the highest share
among firms with 1000 or more employees

Individual entrepreneurs have been the fastest
growing segment during the current recession
The Changing State
of the Economy

Small businesses are the foundation of the
American economy. The Small Business
Administration (SBA) currently reports that of
the 27 million businesses in America,

20 million have no employees, and

another 4 million have 5 employees or fewer.

75% no employees - 89% 5 or fewer employees
The Changing State
of the Economy

A 2008 major study of the relationship
between economic growth and
entrepreneurship found that all nations with
higher levels of entrepreneurial activity had
above-average rates of economic growth.
Major Barriers Discovered
In Workforce Investment System

Entrepreneurship is not well established in
Federal and statewide policy and execution
strategies

Staff lacks information and training about selfemployment as a career option

Entrepreneurship does not fit into current WIA
methods for measuring performance
Recommendations

To respond to the current situations in the US
economy and the public Workforce Investment
System the following recommendations have
been crafted.

Policymakers at the Federal, State and Local
levels have a role to play in helping people
become self-sufficient
Recommendation # 1

Pass new federal legislation that includes a
central coordinator, to break down the silos of
community development, economic
development, workforce development, and
small business legislation
Recommendation # 2

Build partnerships among Federal Agencies that
demonstrate the integration of entrepreneurship
as a career option in every industry, and as one
answer to all displacing events
Recommendation # 3

Provide focused on-going leadership in Federal
Agencies involved with economic, community, and
workforce development that coordinates rules,
regulations, communications, and legislation that
foster entrepreneurial development and selfemployment
Recommendation # 4

Train Workforce Investment Boards in every
state to implement strategic planning and
strategic “doing” around employment
opportunities that optimize the resources
available in their locations, including
opportunities for self-employment
Recommendation # 5


Change Federal and State policies to include
performance indicators and success factors that
focus on changing future economic conditions
and recognize the value of entrepreneurship as
a career choice
Training, number of businesses established,
and success factors should be added
Recommendation # 6

Enable One-Stop Career Centers and other
Unemployment Intake Centers to participate in
professional development to enhance their
orientation to and understanding of opportunities
for the unemployed to develop self-sufficiency
as entrepreneurs
Recommendation # 7


Modify intake systems for the unemployed to
focus on the interests, skills, experiences, and
needs of each applicant that could lead to selfemployment
Help job-seekers use the entrepreneurial selfassessment checklists followed by training and
mentoring as needed
Recommendation # 8


Encourage partnerships between local
organizations that support the training,
counseling, and mentoring needs of the
unemployed who choose to become
entrepreneurs
Community partnerships – Share resources,
capitalize on the strengths of each, and
communicate regularly. Trust is essential!
Recommendation # 9

Help new entrepreneurs to establish their
businesses as sustainable, tax-paying entities
that can be counted as placement successes as
they obtain training, plan, develop, and grow
their enterprises
Recommendation #10

Develop demonstration projects of statewide
systems that model recommendations in this
report for assisting individuals to become selfemployed
As you Review these Recommendations
Remember ….

A job is work that needs to be done...that someone will
pay you to do.
For the self-employed, their employer will be the customer!

The authors believe that these recommendations,
implemented with an entrepreneurial mindset, will lead to
vigorous growth for individual entrepreneurs, enterprising
communities, and the U.S. economy as a whole.
As you Review these Recommendations
Remember ….

This Call to Action seeks to merge successful
economic development, education, and
workforce development strategies, as the nation
seeks to advance entrepreneurship as an
essential answer to our current employment
crisis.
As you Review these Recommendations
Remember ….

Maintaining the status quo is dangerous!

As a nation, we must challenge ourselves
through Congressional action so that our funding
streams and community services for the
unemployed can better address the needs of the
future and not just those of the past
Call to Action!

DOL/ETA needs to get the report out and
begin thinking about how to cause actions
requested

All policy makers and WIS leaders need to
Think Entrepreneurs!
As you have reviewed these Recommendations
What Questions or Comments do you have?

Remember insights come from everywhere!

Your question(s) may help uncover new insights for you
and others!

There are probably more questions than clear crisp
answers related to self-employment/self-sufficiency!
DOL Entrepreneurship Competency Model
Developed by DOL Using Resources of CEE
Released in February 2009
http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel/pyramid.aspx?ENTRE=Y
Entrepreneurship Process
Readiness Checklist
Competency Area and Performance Statements
Know How or Can Do
Need Help With
Explain tools used by entrepreneurs for venture planning
Assess start-up requirements
Assess risks associated with venture
Describe external resources useful to entrepreneurs during concept development
Assess the need to use external resources for concept development
Describe strategies to protect intellectual property
Use components of a business plan to define venture idea
Comments/Thoughts/Needs
Entrepreneurship Technical
Competency Checklist
Competency Area and Competency Statements
Have
Need
Comments
www.entre-ed.org