Benefits of entrepreneurship education and training for engineering students

Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, 550024, 10 Victoriei Bd, Sibiu, Romania

^* Corresponding author: valentin.grecu@ulbsibiu.ro

Abstract

In the present economic situation, having knowledge of an academic subject is no longer sufficient for a new graduate. Students are increasingly required to have skills and abilities which will increase their employability, such as: the retrieval and handling of information; communication and presentation; planning and problem solving; and social development and interaction. Entrepreneurial education and training provides individuals with the ability to recognize commercial opportunities, self‐esteem, knowledge and skills to act on them. It includes instruction in opportunity recognition, commercializing a concept, managing resources, and initiating a business venture. It also includes instruction in traditional business disciplines such as management, marketing, information systems and finance. Entrepreneurs or the move towards self‐employment is, and will continue to become, an increasingly important element of economic growth and development. It is essential to have the infrastructure required to facilitate entrepreneurial mind-set and encourage self-employment. Having a culture of the creation of a new enterprise is a critical aspect of this infrastructure, as it will encourage students to take the risk of starting a business. The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and introduction of the entrepreneurial mindset for engineering students.