CENTRES (Creative Entrepreneurship in Schools) project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

www.centres-eu.org

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVITY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION

Introduction to creativity and entrepreneurship education aims to introduce career counsellors and

teachers to the field of creative education and creative industries and to present the latest trends and

projects dealing with these topics.

In recent years, experts from various sectors of society expressed their concern about the lack of creative

education in schools and within the curricula. In terms of career guidance, the development of creative and

innovative thinking is important for the development of vocational content of education programs.

Moreover, the demand for creative and entrepreneurial staff by employers is very high.

Creativity and innovative thinking is vital for the process of career management. Career management is

determined by career management skills (CMS). They encompass all the competencies needed to manage

one’s own career. They include a sense of initiative and creativity, self-management, opportunity awareness,

flexibility, endurance, optimism, ability to take risks, teamwork and openness to learning. These skills help

learners make decisions about further professional and educational orientation, entering the labour

market and addressing problems arising from the changing situation in employment. Schools in the Czech

Republic can address the concepts via Man and work, a subject running across the school curriculum.

Today, the concept of creative education does not merely refer to education within the arts. Creativity can

be used as a method (teaching) as well as an aim (learning) of educational activities. Initiatives included are

“creativisation” of teaching and “creativisation” of internal processes and school activities (established by

Creative Partnership). For example, a graphics designer can help pupils in the creation of promotional

materials to facilitate teaching and assist in the entire product development cycle until it is unravelled to the

end consumers. The school itself can hire creative managers to help with the design of a sustainable

“creativisation” system.

A very good example of a creative approach to education is project-based teaching. Using this method, the

students are taught how to handle projects and gain experience by solving practical tasks and also via the

process of experimentation. Projects may take the form of practical real life problems or other practical

activities leading to the creation of a product. They can also attempt to solve current school problems, such

as poor contact with local employers.

Entrepreneurship education is more than just information about the possibilities and ways of doing

business. In addition to entrepreneurial training, it comprises educational components such as how to

become an active and enterprising individual, what are entrepreneurial learning environments and ways to

encourage cooperation between businesses and the education sector. The concept of entrepreneurship is

essentially a carrier of positive attributes. The EU defines it as an individual's ability to turn ideas into action.

It includes creativity, innovation and the ability to take risks, as well as project planning and management in

order to achieve the set objectives.

Creative entrepreneurship takes place within creative and cultural industries (CCI). Much of the research on

employment has concluded that employment within CCI is growing faster than employment as a whole.

Creativity, the need to develop it and learning to think creatively has until recently been the domain of the

CENTRES (Creative Entrepreneurship in Schools) project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

www.centres-eu.org

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

arts. However, creativity does not have to be characteristic of only exceptional and talented individuals. It

can be viewed as a basic life skill, through which people can develop their potential, use their imagination to

express themselves and make unique and valuable life decisions. We argue that creative and innovative

thinking can be used by every one of us. At work or at home, it helps us solve problematic situations and

adds significantly to the quality of our lives.

CAREER GUIDANCE IN SCHOOLS AS A CREATIVE PROCESS

Career guidance in schools as a creative process represents an added dimension to career guidance in

primary and secondary schools. It is a process that can significantly affect the attitudes of students towards

acquiring useful skills for life with the aim to encourage guidance practitioners to think about how to develop

and improve career education and turn their school into an innovative institution.

How many people work outside of the field, in which they originally studied? Employers continue to claim

that fresh graduates are not sufficiently equipped with general skills, such as accepting responsibility and

solving problems independently and creatively. They say new recruits are lacking a proactive approach,

which should have been instilled in them during the course of initial education and training.

The development of labour market requirements exemplifies the importance of career guidance as a

process that begins in primary schools and accompanies us throughout our life. One of the aims of initial

education is to prepare students for lifelong learning, dynamic career paths, likely variability of employability

and labour mobility. A good qualification and key competences are needed more than ever before. New

challenges require new education patterns. Are we up to the challenge?

Employers crave creative people. They seek individuals that can bring something new; employees that are

curious, open to new possibilities and who look for and apply interesting information and thrive in times of

crisis. Career guidance recognises this need. Lifelong career guidance today refers to a range of activities

that enables citizens to identify their capacities, competencies and interests and to make career decisions

that enable them to manage their own life paths in learning, work and other settings.

Creativity is described as ability, through which one can find new and original solutions that are useful and

acceptable to the society. A small child goes through certain stages of development. A destructive phase is

followed by curiosity, exploration and creative enthusiasm. At an older age, some people’s creative thinking

is stifled by prevailing working conditions where creativity is undesirable. Schools should create an

environment for students where they can learn to see and do things differently, to invent ideas and realise

them, experiment and discuss issues freely.

The module deals with issues of the current model of career guidance in schools. It encourages a wider role

for educational counsellors and highlights the challenges of career education in schools. Participants will

refer to the education program framework, cross-curricular theme “Man and work” and discuss new

approaches to comprehensive career guidance services that support the development of human potential,

talent and creativity and recognise the individuality of the client. The thematic subject areas of career

education included are self-awareness, self-reflection and creative thinking in the acquisition of key

CENTRES (Creative Entrepreneurship in Schools) project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

www.centres-eu.org

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

competences, practical work skills and habits necessary to enter the labour market. The module provides

tips with regards to methods and activities that can be used in the classroom. For example, project teaching,

practice firms and the involvement of company professionals.

The highest authority for students in their educational path decision making process may be their parents.

However, there are a number of reasons why we should strive to improve the quality of career guidance in

primary and secondary schools. With high unemployment and changes in the labour market, the demand for

high-quality guidance services will persist.

PRACTICE FIRM

The number of graduates unemployed is rapidly growing. Quite often, there is no other choice than to

become an entrepreneur. The practice firm is a subject bringing vocational element into an increasing

number of non-economic school programs in the Czech Republic as well as other European countries. The

module is designed for upper secondary school teachers who want to help students prepare for real life.

Learn about the creation of a practice firm, its application in to school programs, prerequisites for managing

the practice firm successfully and requirements for teachers, pupils and equipment. Become familiar with

the subject characteristics, capabilities, benefits and drawbacks that are often encountered along the way.

The module provides a summary of twenty years of teaching experience in the Czech Republic and the

experience of working with the various foreign central offices.

The practice firm gives upper secondary students specific form of training, which they can apply in their

future work. The aim is practical exercise of theoretical knowledge. The work in the "virtual firm" is

comparable to that of a real company. Students hold particular positions and the relationship between

them and the teacher changes. They work independently, take responsibility for their own work and for that

of their colleagues (classmates) and cooperate with each other to solve problems for the common good.

For operational purposes, practice firms utilise the services of a practice tax department, trade license

offices, companies house register, national insurance, health and other insurance departments, inland and

foreign exchange bank and those of a central supplier. The only difference is absence of production and

movement of goods, services and money.

Benefits of the practice firm

Students are encouraged to:

• practice theory

• gain skills

• think creatively

• be entrepreneurial

• handle career orientation

• navigate a real working environment

• cooperate with others on the practice market

• learn how to work both independently and in a team

CENTRES (Creative Entrepreneurship in Schools) project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

www.centres-eu.org

With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union

• take responsibility for own work as well as the team´s

• communicate, present results and respond to critique

• develop their language skills

• prepare for a smooth transition to employment

In this module, teachers are provided with various practical examples and recommendations about how to

proceed with adding the subject in to the school program and where to go from there. The teacher

introduces students to the practice firm, its objectives and the evaluation criteria just like in a real company.

Together, they decide the area of business, consider a suitable legal form and devise an appropriate

organizational structure. Discussions may then focus on a desirable business strategy, how to keep the

company´s accounts or ways to benefit from borrowing from a practice bank and what tools and events to

expect from the practice firm central office.

Many materials created by "practice firms" can succeed in real life, including business strategies or

marketing plans. With time, some practice firms can and do transform to real companies.