Identifying enterprise skills: an enterprise behaviours, skills and attributes map for personal development

This paper outlines ongoing work being undertaken at the University of Salford, in relation to enterprise and entrepreneurship, in particular the related skills and attributes of learners. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) published its vision for the Future of Higher Education in 2003. In the foreword, Charles Clark the then Secretary of State for Education commented that the pace of global change was accelerating. In order to keep up universities needed to 'mobilize even more effectively the imagination, creativity, skills and talents of all our people. And it depends on using that knowledge and understanding to build economic strength and social harmony' (DfES 2003). He urged that universities needed to make 'better progress in harnessing knowledge to wealth creation' and 'to help turn ideas into successful businesses' (DfES 2003). Encouragement was given to institutions to develop work focused foundation degrees in order to respond to these economic needs (DfES 2003 Section 3.22). However, graduates, studying traditional academic disciplines, still needed to have the 'right skills to equip them for a lifetime in a fast changing work environment' and so continued encouragement was given to 'integrate the skills and attributes which employers need, such as communication, enterprise and working with others, into higher education courses, on a subject-by-subject basis' (DfES 2003 Section 3.23). Prior to 2003 the DfES had talked about Key Skills or Common Skills, the 2003 publication, for the first time, talked about enterprise skills. Nowhere was a definition given of these enterprise skills. The growing demand from learners, coupled with an internationally driven skills agenda for community, business and future entrepreneurs has led to the conclusion that we needed to identify and evidence the enterprise skills that our students and learners require. These skills or attributes contribute to learners' employability at the outset of their career, encourage entrepreneurial venture founding and innovation and promote 'intrapreneurship' and business growth in the labour market.