Developing university learners' enterprise capabilities through entrepreneurial work-integrated learning

Abstract

The changing and dynamic nature of contemporary work is contributing to a compelling need for innovation and enterprise capabilities within organizations. Both small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and larger organizations are increasingly looking for evidence of enterprise capabilities in graduates. In response, Australian universities are endeavoring to embed entrepreneurial experiences in the curriculum with entrepreneurial work-integrated learning (WIL) emerging as a pedagogical approach for learners to develop enterprise capabilities. Through entrepreneurial WIL experiences such as innovation incubators, bootcamps and interdisciplinary industry/community projects, learners engage with industry and community partners and apply their developing enterprise capabilities to identifying opportunities and creating value. This chapter outlines four entrepreneurial WIL illustrations of practice which were re-designed with support from the multi-institutional Edge project. Drawing on these illustrations and current research, the chapter advances key considerations for WIL curriculum, seeking to develop entrepreneurial experiences with a focus on learners’ enterprise capabilities development.