The current state and prospects of entrepreneurship education by
co-operatives in FinlandMiia Maijala
5.7.2012
Today:- Introduction- Proacademy
- Bachelor’s thesis- Co-operatives in Finland
- Entrepreneurship education- Finland, state of affairs 2015
- Co-operative values- Previous studies
- Interviews & questions- Current state- Role of co-op- Challenges- Prospects- Conclusions- Contact
Student entrepreneur in Proacademy
Unit of entrepreneurship of Tampere University of Applied Sciences
Bachelor of Business, Dec 2012 Versio co-operative
Entrepreneurship education, coaching, creativity, leadership and management
Bachelor’s thesis for YVI & Pellervo
YVI = virtual learning environment of entrepreneurship project
PELLERVO = Confederation of Finnish Co-operatives Cooperation between co-operatives and educational
institutions Theme interviews of 11 Finnish co-operatives Discovering the current state and prospects of
entrepreneurship education Concentration on co-operatives outside educational
institutions
Co-operatives in Finland The Co-operative movement since the turn of the 20th
century started by the formation of PELLERVO in 1899
The most co-operative country in the world with respect to total turnover of co-operatives in relation to
GNP or total number of members in relation to population
About 21% of Finland’s GDP being generated from the co-operative sector
The membership of co-operative enterprises in Finland over €6,9m (population: 5,2m inhabitants)
The joint turnover of co-operative business reached over €29m (2009)
Number of co-operatives 4 300 (2010) Few, but large: 10 co-operatives in the Global
300 with SOK the highest at 27
Statistics: New, small co-operatives founded mostly by rather young, well educated town residents – new trend after being seen as old
fashioned
Entrepreneurship education
”…part of lifelong learning; … question of life management, interaction, self-guided action, a capacity for innovation and an
ability to encounter change.”
”…learners develop their knowledge, skills and attitudes and mode of operation, enabling them to act in an entrepreneurial manner in their own lives with others. All this facililitates the learner’s future operation in the labour market, either as an entrepreneur or in the employ of others.”
Guidelines for entrepreneurship educationMinistry of Education 2009
”An entrepreneurial culture and procedures are best realised in cooperation with the operational environment…
guidelines… stress networking amongst different forms of education, business and industry, organisations, administrative
and political decision-makers and pupils/students’ families.”
“…its components are an active individual with initiative, an entrepreneurial learning environment, education and training and active and enterprise-promoting policy in society.”
Entrepreneurial operation needed in Finland
Advancing society founded on entr. activity Economic welfare entails strong and competitive
entr. Rapid change in society, positive economic
trends spur business development Demand for young people in business
Baby-boomers transfer their businesses to next generation
Demands of working life growing
Projected state of affairs in 2015
Positive entr. culture and attitude climate Networking has intensified
Ent.ed. a solid part of core curricula Integrated more robustly into business
strategies and development plans Research relating to entr. learning
environments and pedagogy stepped up Inherent part of the initial training of teachers
Co-operative values & principles
VALUESCo-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-
responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and
caring for others.
PRINCIPLES 7- Concern for Community
Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.
Previous studiesMaster’s thesis ”Just try!” – Companies’ viewpoint on
entrepreneurship education, Lehtoranta & Varis2011 Lappeenranta University of Technology
Articles in International Journal of Co-operative managementThe state of co-operative entrepreneurship education in Finland:
an Explatory study Entrepreneurship education as part of corporate responsibilityThe role of co-operative entrepreneurship in the virtual learning
environment of entrepreneurship education Co-operatives in the entrepreneurship education at Finnish
universities of applied sciencesBy Seikkula-Leino & Troberg & Ruostesaari
Co-operative interviewee Field of business
Turnover appr.
A CEO banking €+200m
B CEO tourism €40-60m
C CEO dairy €+5m
D CEO banking €+5m
E CEO banking €1-2m
F CEO electricity €1-2m
G CEO insurance €0-0,2m
H CEO tourism €0-0,2m
I Chairman of the board
various industries
€0-0,2m
J Chairman of the board
music education
€0-0,2m
K Secretary of the board
creative industries
€0-0,2m
Interviewed co-operatives
Questions Which educational institutes have you done
cooperation with? What kind of cooperation? Why?
Have you set targets? The benefits and opportunities?
The challenges?
Do you bring forward cooperative idea and business type?
What could facilitate the cooperation?ICA: ”Cooperation is a value-based business
model that solves problems that today’s world faces”
How do you see your corporate social responsibility as a co-operative?
All local school levels, 60% with secondary and vocational schools
Most common ways interships (70%) and sponsoring (60%)
Also lectures and company visits
Cooperation with
Why? Company image, positive visibility 70%
To find employees 40% Offer experience from working life
Complement curriculum and educate Update teachers’ knowledge of working life
Get fresh ideas Sales
CSR Participate & take care of local community
Fundraising With members from tomb until grave –
encourage to studies Promoting healthy, drug-free way of life
Improve business locally Promote co-op spirit -> encourage to start a
company
Do you promote co-op spirit and business type?
Yes, absolutely! Every time 20%We might mention about it 20%
No, not really 60%
Should it be promoted?Absolutely! 70%
- Huge difference btw stock corporations and co-ops- We benefit members & owners- Growing need in modern society
- Corporate responsibility- Way to differentiate
- Unknown business model- Lower step to entrepreneurship
No need for it 30%
- Only a business type, nothing more
Challenges? Not enough time and resources
Lack of information on what could be done Difficult to cooperate with educational system
and timetables Lack of diversity in local educational institutions Differences in seeing the importance of entr.ed. inside the company – seen to take too much effort
& not enough value in return Lack of material of co-op spirit
Comparison to companies of other business types
Taking part is meaningful and necessary Interaction with learning institutions and realistic image about
working life Less due to own interest, more to affect young people
Corporate responsibility more important than financial benefits Not sufficient objectives and factors to measure the success
Not long-lasting, if both parties don’t benefitLearning institutions have hard time with keeping up the changes
in business life Important to have an affect on future staff
Need for tools, bringing companies & institutions closer
Future Information material (Tools in development by
YVI) Different ways to cooperate
Promote the benefits for companies Educating teachers
Awareness of entr.ed. organisations and projects
Reminder of co-op values Bringing out good practises
Raising conversation about the importance of cooperation
The final product
Final version in August-September
Thesis can be found from YVI web pages www.yvi.fi
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