Entrepreneurial Learning Ecosystems Forum is for all researchers, teachers and practitioners interested in entrepreneurial learning ecosystem development. The programme will give access to examples from Turku region and elsewhere in Finland about the entrepreneurial learning ecosystem development. It also includes time for networking and interactive discussions.

The Forum is part of the Yrittäjyyden Ytimessä Entrepreneurship Education Conference organized in 17^th and 18^th November 2021 and part of the RENT (Research in Entrepreneurship and Small Business) Conference, organized in between 17th and 19th November 2021 in Turku, Finland.

The Forum programme consists of expert keynotes and comment rounds as well as cases on how to bridge education and work-life in entrepreneurial learning. The programme will give access to examples from Turku region and elsewhere in Finland about the entrepreneurial learning ecosystem development. It also includes time for networking and interactive discussions.

The Forum is organized on site in Turku, Finland.  There is also a possibility to follow live feed from the Forum online; the live broadcast will include the main programme keynotes and comments and programme from Track 1 (see detailed programme below).

The Forum organisors monitor closely the pandemic situation, and take all needed actions issued by the Regional State Administrative Agency to ensure the safety of all Forum participants and prevent the spread of corona virus.

The main programme is organized in EduCity which is located in the Turku Science Park area. Address: Joukahaisenkatu 7, 20520 Turku.

Registrations and coffee/Entering the webinar area

14:30 Opening words, Juhani Soini,  Vice Rector at Turku University of Applied Sciences, Adj. Prof., Ph.D.

14:40 Keynote: Lifelong learning focus area, Helena Mustikainen, Sitra

Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, is an independent public foundation which operates directly under the supervision of the Finnish Parliament. The aim of Sitra’s Lifelong learning focus area is to support different actors in Finland in order to develop a cross-sectional policy for lifelong learning. The aim of this three-year project is to speed up the transition to a lifelong learning policy in which competence and work are seen as the building materials of well-being. The resources used to build competence are seen as a profitable investment in Finland’s competitiveness.

15:00 Comment rounds to the keynote – opportunities and challenges

Commentator 1: Lifelong learning in entrepreneurship from the perspective of ninth graders’ perception on their entrepreneurial selves according to Ysimittari survey, Anu Raappana, LUT University

Ysimittari is a national research conducted in Finland (2019-2022) that is focused on Finnish ninth graders’ perception on their entrepreneurial selves. The target group of the research are all Finnish ninth graders (between 15 and 16 years old) in three consecutive years. In the first round of the survey, 11,433 ninth graders responded to the survey. The project is funded by the Foundation for Private Entrepreneurs (Yksityisyrittäjäin Säätiö).

Commentator 2: School – business partnerships in creating open and flexible learning environments and individual study pathways in entrepreneurship, Maria Taipale, Raseko Raisio Regional Education and Training Consortium, Finland

Raseko offers diversified learning environments for the upper secondary school level students where on-the-job –learning can be done in companies, co-operatives, or in entrepreneurship training programmes. Company collaboration is based on a partnership model, where focus is on educating skilled work-force, developing companies’ activities and engaging in the development of innovative learning methods.

Commentator 3: Institutional readiness of universities to engage in educational collaboration with companies – Insights from the Engagement readiness monitor, Todd Davey, Institute Mines-Télécom Business School, France

Objective of the Engagement Readiness Monitor is to advance the engagement between universities and businesses by developing tools to measure and scale their socially impactful cooperation.

15:45 Instructions on how the programme will proceed
Break and coffee

16:30 Cases – Bridging education and work-life in entrepreneurial learning 

Track 1: RECOGNISING AND ACCREDITING LEARNING IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

• Case 1: Experiences of the open batch in entrepreneurial competence in the upper secondary school level, Lauri Vaara, the Economics Information Office (TAT)

Open batch in entrepreneurship focuses on eight entrepreneurship competence areas, adapted from the EntreComp framework and fitted with the national educational system and curricula as well as the entrepreneurship education recommendations issued by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland. The open batch has been developed to help students recognize and articulate their competences. It is a concrete evidence of one’s competence that can be used, for example, when applying for a job or requesting for exemption from secondary level entrepreneurship education.

• Case 2: Yoop – Turning entrepreneurship competence in credits in higher education, Satu Aaltonen, University of Turku

Yoop is an online tool that supports students in taking advantage of the entrepreneurship competence acquired outside formal education and integrate it into their degrees. It helps students recognise their entrepreneurship competence and provides helpful information and tips for how to apply for the recognition of prior learning to earn study credits. In addition, Yoop includes recommended measures and examples of good practices for teachers.

Track 2: LEADING ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION IN THE REGIONAL LEVEL 

• Case 3: YES Entrepreneurship Education network building connections in the national and regional levels, Sanna Lehtonen, National YES Network, Johanna Vainio, YES South-West Finland

The YES Network is a network of networks which promotes the development of entrepreneurship education in the whole of Finland. It does so by developing entrepreneurship education and training programmes, educating and coaching teachers in different educational levels, developing and building school-business co-operation and strengthening the entrepreneurial culture in Finland. The YES Network is a proactive partner for various stakeholder organisations in the regional and national levels, including municipalities, various education providers, companies and decision-makers related to entrepreneurship education.

• Case 4: Bringing up a local twist in entrepreneurship education – How to take advantage of a municipality’s strengths in developing entrepreneurship education? Piritta Parkkari, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk), Maisa Kantanen (South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk)

Building systematic entrepreneurship education paths is a way to infuse entrepreneurship education into different levels of education on a municipal level. Case South Savo (Finland) illustrates how to develop entrepreneurship education in a way that highlight’s each municipality’s strengths and unique features. This approach builds on self-determination theory and a wide understanding of entrepreneurship education.

Track 3: BUILDING COLLABORATIONS WITH COMPANIES

• Case 5: Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR) programme in higher education, Sanna Ilonen, University of Turku

The objective of the EiR programme is to increase interaction, participation and presence of active entrepreneurs among academic community. It involves entrepreneurs in the teaching activities of Turku School of Economics, University of Turku in multiple ways. The programme promotes students and teachers’ understanding of the realities of entrepreneurship and thus shapes their entrepreneurial attitudes. For entrepreneurs, the programme offers a viewpoint into the everyday life at the University and academia as well as access to the latest academic research and knowledge. The unique programme started in autumn 2020 and no similar cooperation programme between entrepreneurs and a university exists in Finland. Programme received the Entrepreneurial Act of the Year 2020-2021 Award of University of Turku in Spring 2021.

• Case 6: Companies as collaborators in the entrepreneurial learning ecosystems, Marja Vartiainen, Expert at Federation of Finnish Enterprises

Track 4: PROJECT HUB

Come and get to know on-going and forthcoming entrepreneurship education projects! Ideate new projects with potential partners!

For potential partners:

Are you interested in presenting your project in the Forum? Reserve a stand for your project by choosing stand in the registration form. The price of the stand is 200 € and it includes a table and participation fee for one person (project representative).

Please notice that we limit the maximum number of projects to be presented to 15 in order to allow enough space for each project.

17:30 Summary of the Forum

Forum cocktails. Opening words Piia Elo, Deputy Mayor, The City of Turku

Opportunity to stay to discuss and network with Finnish entrepreneurship educators till 20.00.